OK, December is here again and my biggest pet peeve rears its ugly head - Political Correctness regarding the Christmas Season. I am committed to avoid shopping at any establishment that wishes me a "Happy Holiday" or "Joyous Season" rather than "Merry Christmas!". This country was founded on the principles of religious tolerance, but that does not mean just tolerance of the non-Christian denominations...
So with that ugliness out of the way... another year gone by and so many things to be thankful for. We were able to stay pretty healthy this year. I did tear my MCL throwing a Frisbee (I'm such an "extreme sport" athlete), but we managed to stay pretty happy and healthy as a whole.
McKinney is doing fantastic. She went to homeschooling this year as we awaited the decision on the approval of the new Charter High School (it was not approved thanks to a neo-Nazi school board bent on destroying our school system). She did get to participate in some actual classes at the Hood College Learning extension - enjoying Latin and Critical thinking. She sang and danced in a production of Oklahoma and has been progressing impressively with Ballet. She is turning into an incredible young woman despite all my negative influences.
Allison has also been very busy this year. When we can get her off the heating vent (one of her favorite places to sit) and out of her books, she fills our life with energy. She is great at helping little Audrey and is currently our family Mario Kart Wii champion. Her regular fevers seem less frequent now (a good thing). She loves music and is regularly asking dad to download new songs for her. We had a daddy/daughter trip to NYC that was amazing. We stayed in a room overlooking Times Square (Marriott Marquis) and saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. It is fun to see how social Ally is and she is a delight to have around.
Cole continued in soccer this year and had a great time. This was the first year in which the kids on his team actually seemed to understand the concept of what they were supposed to be doing. Cole's teachers just rave about how great it is to have him in their class and he is particularly adept at math. He is still a big fan of anything related to Jedi's and Star Wars (Clone Wars). He is also following the family tradition of great readers. It is sad when the biggest reason you have a TV is for dad and his sports.
Audrey is just amazing! She makes me laugh almost every day with something grown up she says. We were commenting on the bad smell created by some 3 day old milk Audrey spilled on our bed and she commented that the milk wasn't what made the bed smell bad, it was daddy's "toots" - a little too close to reality... She enjoys her Montessori school and is a really proficient "counter". She just loves to do anything that her older brothers or sisters are doing. Audrey cut her own hair this year and as a result ended up with pierced ears (lest she look like a very attractive boy). Does that make us trailer trash??
Maren is busy as ever. She began a Masters program in Journalism this year. She struggles with being a lone conservative voice in a sea of liberalism - the notion of a seriously biased media is highly accurate! Her articles have been published regularly in area newspapers. She also continues to teach yoga and also agreed to run a marathon with me in Oct. Maren is a "super mom" - managing school, home maint, child care, athletic training, and scheming about new crazy adventures for our family (see Disney trip, house remodel, etc...).
Jim is boring as ever. I have been "blessed" with a big increase in work this year which has led to more money, but also more hours away from the family. In addition, the YM Pres calling has carved out another large niche of time. The remainder of free time is divided between running/training and sleeping. I did get to do some highpointing in Utah and Idaho with brother Mike this year. These mountain trips are always a highpoint (no pun intended) of the year for me. Went through a 2nd knee operation (what is with my knees?) and still managed to finish the Baltimore marathon. The trip to Oregon (4 kids and dad, but no mom) for G'ma Nan's birthday was fantastic. I even got to hike to the top of Wiltnoma Falls (awesome waterfall).
Hope your year was as exciting and fun as ours. May the spirit of the holiday season touch you and may you have a healthy and prosperous new year!
