Dear Hunter,

The day before your Dad's birthday, January 22, he went to the post office, like he had so many times this month, looking for the letter. A letter we had talked about for years, before you were born even. A letter we were excited for, and also concerned about. We were excited for you and what you could discover. We were concerned if we were making the right choice for you, one of the most important choices, and one of the last we would be making without your input. A letter that, when it came, made us cry, and laugh, and feel proud of you like we had on so many other days before this one.

A letter that accepted you into the class of 2023.

We knew you were smart and gentle and funny. We knew you scored so well on your tests, and we knew you played kindly with the other children on your play date. We knew you loved it at the new school. One day you asked me when you would be 'done the regular school and go to the play school' where you had the play date and we had looked at the big whale on the wall. We knew you were excited by all of the computers you saw in the classrooms. We knew you were looking forward to frolicking on the scenic playground. And now we know that you will thrive, be happy, and make friendships to last a lifetime at this place.

Our sweet little man, you are getting so big, we love you so much.
I am so proud of you, my Huntie, be proud of yourself, too.
Love,
Mama and Daddy

Baby Hunter-4 months


6 months in your first golf shirt


Your First Day at the Last Daycare-1 year 2 months


At the Races-1 year 3 months


Down the Shore-2 years


Riding Lesson with Mama-2 years 2 months


Playing With Your Camera-3 years 5 months

Getting Ready

Beck had her 9 month check up on Tuesday and she is thriving! She weighs in at 20 lbs 10 ozs, although Mimi and I were sure it was much more. The other stats were a little lost on me given that I was at the doc's the day before with a wicked cold. 5 days later I am still not well, ugh. This terrible sore throat and cold is also putting a damper on Hunter's good news that we received yesterday in the mail. He has been offered a place in the class of 2023! We are so happy for him and proud of him! We didn't say too much to him since I think he will want to go to the New School tomorrow and he won't understand that he will need to wait a few months.

Anyway, Beck is cruising and getting ready to walk, and her babbling is consistent and wildly cute! She gets so excited when Hunter gets home from school, and cries when Daddy leaves the room, the doc says good object permanence, Daddy says she just loves him so much. She is still in a full swaddle at night, mostly because this cold is giving her a hard time, but also because the teeth have been menacing her a bit. She has two bottom and two top, and given they were so hard won you would think I would have the dates they came in, but I don't, so sue me. I'll be sure to note the next one.

For now those are the milestones for the little charmers, I am still trying to simply get over this cold. Oh, and the Eagles missed the superbowl again. Shocker.

Moving + Renting = Dislike

I dislike the word hate. But if I did hate something, it would be moving. Which I have just done again for the umpteenth time with Michael. And I think I dislike (read:hate) being a landlord and renting out the house. But I have finished moving out of a 5 bedroom and cleaned nearly the entire thing in less than 2 days. I am also now sick. Surprise!! I have not been reading or commenting on blogs or keeping up. Which would lead me to this...

I hate that Amalah mentioned my comment on her delicious spot on the interwebs, and I am just now finding out. Am loser.

Amy's is a great post about the little angels that help you through the long nights with little one's, and how we all come to the Never Doing that Again column. Please to go read Amalah and enjoy smushy pics of her kiddies, I am returning to regularly scheduled sickness.

A New Year

I have an irrational fear. That I like to say is not an irrational fear. I don't like to go out on New Year's Eve. More specifically, I don't want to be on the road on NYE with some 17 (or 47) year old who has been drinking and takes me out. 'Cause I would be the one that gets taken out. Just because.

So this year we all packed into the truck to drive Mimi home at mid afternoon. Dad drove in silence while the kids eventually nodded off and Mimi and I rehashed the news, again. The economy. Obama. Crime rates. Tragedy. And the cost of food. (Happy New Year!)

We reached Mimi's house and James' car was missing, so she exclaimed that a cup off tea and brandy was in store for her, and we bid her a good evening (she would be asleep by 8pm).

Then we headed back on the journey home, rehashing childhood stories, all the schools that Michael had been in over the years, the one school I had attended. Hunt woke up going on about being hungry, which is his favorite statement right now. I caught Michael eyeing the next McDonalds while we sat at a red light light, and he pulled in so we could all have a treat (mine of course being that I wouldn't have to come up with dinner upon our return).

When we got home the kids played like angels while we had some beers and watched cheesy movies and chatted. We decided it was a perfect New Year's.

Happy and peaceful new Year to Everyone.

Merry Christmas!

The kids had a great first Christmas on the Farm. Hunter really loved his dinosaurs from Santa Claus! He helped Rebecca open her gifts, in between squirrling away various dinos in his room and in Mimi's room. Then Mama and Beck took a nap before we all got ready to go over to Grammy's. More on that later.

We hope everyone had a great holiday!

Off to the Movies

I did this fun meme about firsts, which caused me to google what I remembered about the first movie I ever saw. Which wasn't much. I went with Yvonne (surprise) but I can't remember where we saw it or how we got there. I started with top disney movies and found a good list by year but I soon realized that whatever twisted film we saw was not of the Disney derivation. This film was scary and dark, I remember that. So I threw in scary and dark and found a babble list. And lo and behold friends...

Indeed. My first movie was The Dark Crystal.


From Babble:
That Jim Henson, God bless his soul, was one dark dude. Riding high on the success of The Muppet Show, Jim took his Hollywood leverage and made this doozy for the kiddies. Miss Piggy- and Gonzo-loving kids and parents must have thought this J.R.R. Tolkien-like epic would be an adorable Kermit-dressed-as-a-Hobbit romp. What they got were the Skeksis, lizard bird creatures that ate other Muppets and shrieked in such a way, I still can't get it out of my head. Then there’s the Crypt Keeper-looking Muppet who takes her eyeballs out and throws them at people. Oh, and those gigantic beetle things with their skin-crawling chattering — always with the chattering.


Says a lot about how often Yvonne went out, I am sure she had no idea it was dark and terrifying (and I liked that a little). It was just one of many of our misadventures, but I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. I wonder what movie will be Huntie's first foray into the celluloid. I was hoping a Harry Potter, but no such luck I don't think. I know one thing for sure, I am glad Henson has passed on and taken his idea of a children's movie with him...

Can I get an Ew! Or an Awww...

Beck has a cold, and ew. Poor thing made the sweetest 'I'm sick' face all day yesterday when she saw Santa (gratuitous cuteness to follow). The kids both seemed to enjoy Santa this year, even though I was sure there would be tears. But, I talked to Hunt first and reminded him that Santa was very big and had a very bright red suit. He proceeded to question me for the next 2 hours on HOW big Santa was, only to finally determine that he would not be TOO big.

When we got to the club we had to convince Hunter that Santa did not, in fact, live in the clubhouse. As we entered the conference room (First!) to finally meet Santa, I was saying that maybe the older kids could go first so Hunter could watch, but before I finished my thought Hunt ran across the room and jumped into Santas lap. And proceeded to mug for the camera for the rest of his visit.

Cheese!

Here's Beck's best effort to look happy despite her cold

Baby girl by her first tree on the farm

Hunter showing Grammy his picture book present

Of course, after this excitement we had lunch with everyone and generally kicked off the Holiday season in style! I just hope Rebecca feels better before our next festive event, I am running out of tissues.