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Merry Christmas…time to rest!

IMG_0340.JPGDec. 25: It is with a grateful sigh that Bryan and I are now resting in a mostly darkened living room after a multitude of holiday festivities.  The treelight glows, the kitty purrs, and all is quiet.  A nice way to end a couple fun, festive, and somewhat frantic days of holiday celebration.

New photos are in the gallery from last week and the last couple days. 

We spoke to Bryan’s parents this morning.  They are in Wichita, spending Christmas with their parents and LuAnn’s brothers’ families.  Ben and Melanie are also in Wichita with his family.  We miss them all, but Andrew enjoyed looking over photos of our last Christmas together as a reminder of the fun times we have had in the past.  Andrew’s attention span for looking at pictures is somewhat remarkable.  I think he must have gotten that from me:)

On Christmas Eve, we had my family over for dinner.  It was a lot of fun to invite others to our home for a major holiday meal.  We ate our traditional beef stew on mashed potatoes alongside way too many other dishes.  After dinner, we sang a bit, opened presents, and then tried out Bryan’s new poker chips with a few rounds of family poker.

This morning we work bright and early to find some presents from Santa under our tree.  Andrew wasn’t so sure about the sit-and-ride horse we got him, but he was pretty interested in the wooden dinosaur magnets, a xylophone, and a Fischer-Price farm.  At 8:30, we headed over to my parents and saw what Santa brought there.
Andrew was particularly excited about a new wooden puzzle.  I liked my new mistletoe, and Bryan got some golf ball finding glasses.

By 10:30, we headed down to Monroe to see Grandma, Grandpa, Julie, Kevin, and Gary.  Julie and Kevin provided a massive feast for us all, which we ate with gusto.  Andrew even liked the gingered cranberries.  Grandpa has been in and out of the hospital and nursing home the past few weeks, so we all took turns visiting him at the nursing home.

We got back from Grandma’s in time for Andrew’s bath and bedtime. And as I said when I started, now Bryan and I are in some form of collapse in the living room.  What fun Christmas celebrations we had!

I hope your Christmas was tinted with the makings of delightful memories.

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Dotzour family letter

For the second year, I sent out a letter with my Christmas cards.  Thought I would post it here as well.

Dear Family and Friends,

As I write this note, I am reminded how worried we were about my mom’s health in early December 2005.  Then on January 11, we kicked off the new year with my mom’s surgery at Mayo.  Since that day, pancreatic cancer has been something we are moving past rather than wading through.  What a difference!  I know we all offer mom’s surgeon, Dr. Michael Farnell our unending gratitude for making our mommy well.  Since January, Mom underwent another round of chemo, participated in an immunization clinical trial, and has had really positive test results.  What a happy Christmas we are having!

My siblings have all had an exciting year too.  Michael took on a new job as an IT manager for Excel Inns.  He also bought a nice house in Madison with three of his friends—he’s now a home-owner!  Maretta is a junior at St. Kate’s in St. Paul.  Last March, she and her sweetie, Kyle Zilic, got engaged with a wedding planned for May 2008.  We’re so excited!  Joe graduated from high school this year, leaving the De Forest school district bereft of Bablers for the first time since 1983.  In August, Joe moved to Maine where he is now a student at Bowdoin College.  We’re looking forward to having him back home over his winter break.

We were lucky enough this past year to have lots of visits with Bryan’s parents.  It has been so much fun to watch Andrew develop a joyous relationship with his Granny Lu and Grandad.  Bryan and I always appreciate having extra hands on deck during our times together.  Melanie and Ben are doing really well in Dallas.  Ben’s job continues to evolve and grow, and they adopted a new kitten named Smudge to join kitty Chulo and puppy Toby.  In November, they purchased a Curves franchise in Frisco, which Melanie will run.  We are excited to have business owners in the family!

Andrew, of course, is the bright star amidst our days.  He has grown so much in the last year!  It is hard to believe that this talking, walking kid was trying to sit up 12 months ago!  He has been thrilled with all the Christmas decorations and traditions that we are sharing with him.

Bryan and I have had a nice year.  We’re enjoying our ever-evolving jobs at Widen and at Gathering Waters Conservancy.  The high points of our days are a) playing with, reading to, and chasing after Andrew and b) flopping down in exhaustion after he’s gone to bed.

If we haven’t gotten to see you recently, I hope our paths cross soon.  In the meantime, I keep our website stocked with pictures and updates that feature the activities of little Andrew and family.  Check it out at bryanandalthea.dotzour.com.

On behalf of our Dotzour clan, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 

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Christmas activities

Dec. 18: Today is my dad’s birthday, and we celebrated by getting together for dinner at our place.  Mom made all the food and brought it over. I told her that I’m always happy to have a dinner party at my house when I don’t have to do a thing to get ready for it!  Dessert was chocolate fondue with good dippings.  mmmm  See a quick video here:

Andrew has been having a lot of fun with Christmas activities.  The novelty of the tree has worn off.  After we decorated the tree, he completely forgot about the tree water/splash pool, and at this point, he leaves most of the ornaments alone too.  Last week we had a neighborhood holiday party/cookie exchange at our house.  He had fun playing, and Bryan and I really enjoyed spending a warm evening with our friends whom we don’t see much when the weather turns cold.

I had my Gathering Waters holiday party last week as well, and we had the three 2005 Gathering Babies in the same place for the first time since last winter.  Clara, Alex, and Andrew sure are an amazing set of cuties.  And Andrew really enjoyed the food at the party.

Last weekend, we took another visit to Olbrich Gardens holiday train exhibit.  Andrew had a blast watching the trains and running around in the conservatory.  It’s so fun to watch him gain confidence and navigate his own little way in the world.  He knew how to wiggle right up to the trains…meanwhile I’m on my tiptoes several bodies back, trying to keep an eye on him!

We’ve started sharing some presents with him.  Tonight he opened a couple gifts from Aunt Kate.  And he played with them all evening.  What a fun kid!

Karen called me this afternoon to tell me that Andrew had climbed to the top of the play structure today.   How does he get these ideas that he is a big boy?  It constantly shocks me!

The weather was so warm this past weekend that we spent quite a bit of time outdoors.  We (finally) raked our lawn, and Andrew had a blast playing in the leaves.  Then we went to the playground for the first time in a couple months.  He had a lot of fun going down the slide, playing on the swings, and going through the tunnel.  And he really didn’t want to leave!

Christmas is coming, and it’s so fun to share the magic with our little guy.

Happy wishes to you all!

Althea

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Lovely Christmas weekend

olbrichxmas.jpgDec. 10:  Ahhh, it’s Sunday and the end of a lovely weekend with my little and my big family.  On Friday (my day off), Mom, Dad, Andrew, and I went to Olbrich Gardens to see their model train exhibit.  It was really beautiful, and Andrew had a wonderful time. He couldn’t get enough of watching the trains buzz around the tracks.  I think we’ll go back with Dada soon.  Photos are in the gallery.

This afternoon, Michael, Bryan, Andrew, and I helped Mom and Dad pick out a Christmas tree.  Michael got one too for his house.  While shopping, we ran into Herr Huxmann,  our old German/history high school teacher.  Then we went to Rocky’s for lunch, and Michael and I helped Mom and Dad set up the tree while we watched A Muppet’s Christmas.  It struck me as pretty funny that Michael and I are the two ones home these days.  A flashback to 1984.

Andrew spent the weekend reading books, playing with ornaments, and having a jolly time.  He loves looking at the tree, and it’s so fun to share the celebrations of the season with him.   Our outdoor lights are up now (it’s warm this weekend!), and we’re about ready for our neighborhood holiday party here on Wednesday.  Happy Holidays!

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Fun with Christmas trees

Dec. 6: Andrew is thoroughly amused with our decision to bring a tree in to our living room.  For the first couple days after it came home, Andrew decided that the water at the base of the tree was his own personal splash pond.  Repeatedly pulling him back by his overall straps didn’t have much affect other than focusing his resolve.  That was fun.

Then once we lit and decorated the tree, he’s been so fascinated with that part of the tree that he seems to have (at least temporarily) forgotten about the water.  He’s very into the tree.  He likes to lean in and sniff at the lights.  Let me tell you, it’s a cute sight to see.  He tells me about the ornaments he sees ‘tars” (stars) “beear”  “meaow” “maaaa” (sheep).  When we first brought it home, he was trying to figure out what kinds of things we put in the tree.  He’s been trying to put all sorts of things in the tree. Throwing Bryan’s shoes into the tree was one plan.  These days he likes to put his teddy bear, small books, and mail into the tree.  Sometimes they even stick.

It’s also been fun to share our Christmas music box (from Aunt Kate and Uncle Greg) with Andrew.  He loves it.  He listens, cocks his head, and asks for “moh, MOH!”

Happy Christmas planning to you all!

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Phase I of website retrieval complete

Dec. 6: I am delighted to report that Ben has helped me retrieve our website from the now defunct server on which it previously lived.  All of my old posts including all Andrew’s early reports and all Mom’s health updates are now back.

Our photo gallery is not yet functional, and I think it will take a few steps to get it running.  Thanks to Ben for rescuing our website and for helping me to get it up again.

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On vacation

dotzourfamily.jpgNov. 25: We’ve been having a fabulous time relaxing at Granny Lu and Grandad’s house.  Andrew is having loads of fun playing with his loving relatives, and Bryan and I are basking in the ability to play on the computer or play cards or generally be lazy.

Bryan’s cousin Darren, his wife Erin, and their kids, Kevin and Ryan, came over yesterday, and we spent a really nice afternoon together.   Kevin is four, and Ryan is 20 months old, so with three kids in the house, we had a lot of energy flowing!

We’ve been taking loads of pictures all weekend, and I posted ones from the last couple days on our website.  Enjoy!

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Happy Thanksgiving

thanksgivingdinner.jpgNov. 24: Greetings from warm and sunny Texas!

We are basking in the weather and in the company of Bryan’s mom and dad and Melanie and Ben.  Our flight down here went really well, and Andrew has really been enjoying playing outdoors and hanging out with family.  Oh, and eating!

Yesterday we played Bocce ball, Andrew kicked a ball around the yard, he and Grandad dug in the dirt, and we made and ate loads of yummy food.  Andrew enjoyed his first Thanksgiving meal.  He even had three spoonfuls of cranberry sauce (by the third bite, he determined that he was done with cranberries for about a year).  Photos in the gallery show our day.

We have so many things to be thankful for this year.  First in my mind are that my mommy is well, followed closely by my continued overwhelming gratitude for Andrew.  I’m glad we are encouraged to pause this time of year to think about our dear family and friends.

Our lives are made so rich because of you.  Thanks to all of you!

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Ahh…nap time

Nov. 19: Andrew’s eye teeth are coming in. He has been a very drooly boy the last week, and yesterday I saw the peek of a new tooth on one side.  Last night and the night before he was up and very unhappy in the night.  Poor boy…it’s hard to know he is hurting.  And I really would think that getting new teeth would hurt!  Bryan has been out of town this weekend, and both Friday and Saturday, Andrew really didn’t want to do the napping thing. Makes for some pretty long days.  But about an hour ago, he looked at his crib and said, “pAh” (pacifier).  I asked him if he wanted to nap and he said “nAh.”  Then he blissfully, quietly went to sleep.

And I am now taking this moment of quiet not to progress on any of my household needs or to-lists.  I’m browsing the internet and reading about toddlers.  That and letting my brain drift quietly about without worrying about Andrew destroying himself or durable household items.

I think I need to work on consistency about what Andrew is and is not allowed to do.  His Opinions are all-consuming for him, and last week’s passion is not necessarily an interest this week.  So I’m trying to figure out what behaviors to promote, which ones to ignore, which ones to really not want him to do but ignore, and which ones to stop.

And where is the line between “that is not allowed” and “that is not a good idea, let’s do something else”?  Can I keep those behaviors straight in my mind?  What if tomorrow a “not good idea” drives me crazy and then it breaks his heart because he tells me (with his eyes), “You let me do that before!!”

Or worse, when I let a “not allowed” behavior go because I’m tired or because he is cute or because circumstances make it difficult to effectively re-direct his very directed brain. hmmm

Our current conundrum is that Andrew likes throwing his toys down the basement stairs.  Wait, he LOVES throwing his toys down the basement stairs.  It’s an activity that excites him so much he pants.  And it is kind of a fascinating study in physics.  Soft cat toys land with a soft thump a few steps down.  Toy cars make a tremendous, very satisfying racket as they knock against every step.  Balls bounce down the stairs and roll all around the floor at the bottom.  Plastic creatures bang nicely and make fall far or near depending on how they hit the stairs.  Playing cards float or fall.  I would guess there are 40 toys on our basement stairs right now.

But the baby gate at the top of the stairs is only so safe.  And if he somehow broke the gate and feel down the stairs (like his dad did when he was a baby)…well that could be catastrophic beyond imagining.  So clearly as a responsible parent, I shouldn’t let him do this.  Or at least I shouldn’t encourage it.  I definitely shouldn’t stand at the top of the stairs and say, “Wow!  That one was loud!”

But the last few days I’ve thoroughly confused Andrew by alternating between forbidding, attempting distraction, and condoning the throwing the toys down the basement stairs game.  Setting the stage for a lifetime of consistent, dependable discipline.

Maybe next week he will pick a new behavior to try out, and myself, being a little wiser this time will step up my parenting know-how and resolve a bit.  It’s amazing the things that occupy my mind!

~Althea

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He’s learning so much every day!

readingwithdad.jpgNov 13: I am shocked at how much Andrew changed in the few days I was gone.  He seems more worldly to me.  He can tell me about so many things.  I got home last night while he was in the tub.  “Bat!” he kept saying to me.  And then he showed me his tub toys and wash cloths.

It seems to me like he has gone from just being able to point to things that I name to now being able to, in his own little baby babble, tell me about all his toys.  And he is quite earnest about it all.  It feels just fantastic to be back at home with him again.

There was a good snowfall here over the weekend.  Bryan took some video of Andrew playing out in the snow.  At some point here, I might see if I can figure out how to upload video to my webpage.  I just downloaded the pictures from Halloween.
We took pictures at daycare and as we trick-or-treated around our neighborhood.
This way you can see yet more pictures of Andrew in his duck costume. I also have a few pictures of Bryan and Andrew reading and of Andrew playing with his new favored toy, his Ark from Granny Lu and Grandad.
“AAHK!”  he says.