Jan. 9: The snow is coming down fast and thick this morning. Already, I’m sure it has filled in the tracks that Andrew and I made while we walked to school. Sylvia has a few minutes left of napping, and I’m enjoying the quiet. Because when both the kids are active, it is SO not quiet. Sylvia is screeching all the time. Andrew asks, "why" about almost anything. He also likes to sing songs and seems to live with one foot in his narrated imaginary world where we are all active animals of some sort.
He went back to preschool yesterday morning, and he was so happy to return. I was so happy to have him return! Eli spent the afternoon at our house, and those boys snuggled and played games and in general were two peas in a pod. Andrew was so worn out from the activity, though, that he fell asleep at 6:30!
I spent my Andrew-at-preschool, Sylvia-napping free time yesterday by making a three page to-do list. It was a big brain dump, and it felt so good to free it all from my mind. Then I spent all evening whittling away at some of the smaller projects. I love getting things done. I don’t think I can overstate that. It’s like gold stars and bells ringing when I get to check off an item on my list. I am, indeed, a complete geek.
Happy New Year!
Jan. 5: Today feels like the first day of life-returning-to-normal now that the holidays are done. Sylvia is napping. Her naps have been going much better (usually). She’s been sleeping for an hour and 15 minutes two times a day. Andrew is watching Life in Cold Blood – a David Attenborough documentary series on reptiles. He just curled up next to me sighing, "Cameleons. I like everything about cameleons."
Reading obsession
Jan. 2: I’m re-reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini. It’s the second book in a fantasy series. The third book came out recently, and I have a copy from the library. Due January 5. Around Christmas, I stopped reading, but in the last couple days, I’ve gotten caught up in the story again. When I am reading a story I like, it’s like an addiction. I can’t stop. So today, I’ve decided not to read until the kids go to bed so I can try to be a good parent:)
I’ve got about 200 more pages to go in Eldest, and Brisinger (the next book) is probably around 700 pages. Think I’ll be able to do it? Anyone want to watch my kids:)
Imagination gone wild
Jan. 2: Andrew and I got some fun playtime in this morning while Sylvia was napping. His imagination is so vivid. Down the road, I thought I might enjoy remembering how a play-session with Andrew went, so here it is, captured for posterity.
(note: Andrew was naked as a jailbird the entire time we were playing. I was dressed in layers…and was cold!)
After a long game of Sequence for Kids, we snuggled under a blanket. In a heart-warming moment, Andrew wrapped himself around me and joyfully declared that he was so happy that I could stay home with him and Sylvia.
He decided the blanket was a den and we were both foxes. While in our den, he asked me what we were going to eat. I’d name an animal, then he would catch the prey with his hand, take a bite, and give the rest to me to eat. In this manner, we ate nearly every animal I know of…all the animals at the zoo, all the farm animals I could think of, all the backyard birds, forest dwellers, fish, whales, and polar creatures that would come to mind. Full, we’d crawl under the covers of our den and fall asleep until "our bellies were as flat as a pancake!" Then we’d eat more.
Eighth tooth
Dec. 28: Almost every morning, when Andrew wakes up, he stumbles blearily into the room where Sylvia and I are playing, curls up on my lap, and mumbles, “How many teeth does she have today?” When I tell him I haven’t checked, he brightens up, bends down to Sylvia, and asks me to feel to see if she still has seven or if she now has eight. “Still seven teeth,” I tell him.
But today, I checked that top left gum, and I felt a sharp edge coming through. “Eight!” I told my boy. “Today, Sylvia has eight teeth!”
Christmas photos
Dec. 27: After doing my quick Christmas morning post, I’ve been away from my laptop for a couple days. I’ve just sat down and sorted the photos from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the 26th. Christmas Eve we spent here at my house. My siblings, their sig-oths, and Dad came over, and we had rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, and a heap load of side dishes. It was a lovely evening. Everyone helped, either with childcare or cooking or cleaning. Then we had a nice Christmas morning here with our little family. Around noon on the 25th, we headed over to my Dad’s house for the day. My dad’s brother Scott, and his wife, Marcia came up from Chicago to join us, and we all made a huge fondue meal. It was a lot of fun. The Zilics were in Chicago for the day, so we missed them, but it was a fun Christmas.
Pictures are in the gallery from Christmas Eve (and a couple days before), Christmas Day, and December 26th. Enjoy!
A whirlwind of visits
Dec. 27: We’ve had such a great time these last couple days seeing friends! Bryan and I are currently crashed on the sofa after Fondue Part Deux.
On the 26th, Anne & Owen and Heather stopped over for a visit. We all had a fun time catching up and indulging in the wonderful hot chocolate from Aunt Kate. Maretta and I went shopping in the afternoon for a work-blazer. We had lots of success at Macy’s. It was one of the first times in recent memory that I was shopping without any children. It was a delightful afternoon!
In the evening, Joe and Becky came over and fixed enchiladas for us for dinner. They helped us put the kids to bed, and then Bryan and I spent the evening camped in front of a movie (me) and the laptop playing chess (Bryan).
This morning, our clan trooped through the thick, thick fog to Grandma McElmurry’s house where we visited with Grandma, Nancy, Brian, Tom, and Katie for a couple hours. When we came home, we were delighted to find that our friends Josh and Annie were driving through Madison on their way home from Christmas (on their way back to Philly). So they stopped over and we got to visit with them for a while. We last saw them three years ago. How time flies!
After their visit, we drove across town to attend Lisa’s birthday ice cream get-together. Sylvia and Andrew shared a cup of vanilla ice cream, and I think Sylvia ate more than Andrew did!
Not missing a beat, we drove to my dad’s house where we picked up the left-overs from our Christmas Day fondue feast and took them back to our house. Heather and Michael, Maretta and Kyle, and my dad all came over, and we stuffed ourselves once again. Cheese, meat, and chocolate fondue. That’s a lot of food…
It’s been a great couple of days. Tomorrow may be more relaxed, and that will be fine with me too:)
I’m so glad that we’ve had the opportunity to see so many friends!
Christmas morning!
Dec. 25: We had a lovely Christmas morning here in the Dotzour house. Sylvia is currently dressed up in an adorable dress, and she’s crawling around the room with her new doll from Granny and Grandad.
Last night, my family came over for a feast, some singing, a bit of present opening, and a lengthy game of Christmas poker. Between going to bed past midnight, getting up three times with Sylvia, and having Andrew come in at 6:30 (as per normal), I’m less than bubbling over with energy right now. But it’s a good, mellow kind of feeling.
Andrew had no idea that he was getting more presents this morning. However, he quickly became a speed-demon present-opener. Sylvia doesn’t get the ripping paper thing yet. However, she loves to maw down on bows:)
The big present of the day is a kitchen for the kids. I LOVE it. They love it. We’re going to have some fun!
Photos from our morning are in the gallery.
2008 Christmas letter
Dec. 23: Thanks so much to everyone who gave me feedback on this year’s photo for my holiday cards. I was pretty happy with split-screen result. Life is just too chaotic to depict it as serene:)
What follows is my 2008 Christmas card letter. Merry Christmas to all!
Christmas 2008
I hope this note finds you well both in health and in heart. Having two little kids fills our days to the brim!
Andrew, our darling, thoughtful, inquisitive three-year-old has jumped right in to our Christmas traditions. He can’t wait to open his advent calendar each morning, and he loves to help me bake Christmas cookies – especially when he gets to lick the bowl. Andrew has been going to preschool two mornings each week, and he frolics about with anticipation. He’s such a neat kid! Animals continue to be his favorite topic, and he’s developing an encyclopedic knowledge of the world’s creatures.
Sylvia is 10-months-old this December. Our baby girl’s first Christmas! She has lit up our lives like a Roman candle, and my heart is held captive by her impish, toothy grin. Sylvia abounds in energy and determination. She is already starting to walk by pushing around chairs, and she loves to climb. Just the other day, she said her first non-babbling word…“uuhhp!” It’s a lot of work to keep up with her beloved older brother, but she’s up for the challenge. Andrew recently suggested that we rename Sylvie “Sugar” because she’s “tho thweet!”
Bryan and I mostly chase and tend to the children, but when he’s not doing that, Bryan is a software engineer at the biotech company OpGen. He’s taken quite an interest in chess and enjoys quiet evenings playing on chess.com online. If you’re ever looking for a chess partner, I’m sure he’d be game!
I am approaching the one-year anniversary of being a full-time mom. It’s been great! I enjoy spending so much time with my kiddos, and while there certainly are challenging times, I’ve been really happy. It makes a big difference to have friends who are also at home! I feel very lucky.
Our families are doing well. This January, Bryan’s parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary! Bryan’s dad gives speeches all around Texas (and increasingly elsewhere), so they’re well-seasoned travelers. Ben and Melanie have recently moved to a new place in Dallas, and we have really enjoyed getting to see them several times this summer and fall.
My family is moving forward and doing fun things…despite the lack of our sweet Mommy to guide and comfort us all. Michael got a new job at Lands End, and he and Lisa have wedding plans for October of ’09. Maretta and Kyle got married last May, and they have a sweet little nest together in St. Paul. Joe is a junior at Bowdoin, and in January he’ll be traveling to Sri Lanka for the semester. Oh, how I wish I could join him! Dad has been busy, busy, busy with his political work, and we see him pretty regularly: Andrew loves having lunch with his grandpa.
I report on our family’s activities in my blog: dotzourfamily.com. It’s an easy way to keep in touch!
Amidst this frantically-paced time of year, I hope you find time to settle into a soft chair with a warm drink and perhaps a cozy cat to take a moment to reflect, appreciate, and dream. Best wishes for 2009.
~Althea
Christmas preparations
Dec. 22: We’ve been doing a lot of fun things to get ready for Christmas. Our refrigerator is covered with containers of cookies and candies. The tree is filling our living room with pretty lights. Last week we had our neighbors over for our annual cookie exchange. A couple weeks ago, we went to Olbrich Gardens with my dad to see the holiday trains. On Sunday, my dad took me and Andrew to A Christmas Carol. It was Andrew’s first play (or movie for that matter), and he did wonderfully. He wore his tie and looked adorable. What a fun afternoon we all had! Photos of some of our holiday preparations are in the gallery!