Thank you!

Here is the wall of Christmas card love we got this year. It was a new record! We loved getting all of them. I seem to be sending out cards on an every-other-year cycle, so this year ours did not happen. But if I had sent a card/letter out, it would have gone something like this:

Ben: Loves his new road cycling hobby. Loves it way more than grad school. He still likes movies and music, Inception was one of his favorite releases last year.

Shaunie: Feeling like I have some control over my 5 person household. I spend lots of time doing laundry, cleaning, and dishes. I'm learning there is a meditative component to these chores, so I don't hate doing them as much as I used to. I still love sewing and quilting, and think frequently about what new projects I can tackle in the future.

Evelyn: She is becoming quite the reader, and picks up the information she learns at school like a sponge. Her kindergarten class focuses a lot on reading, but she really enjoys the math she learns as well. The other day she told me how she gets teased at school sometimes because "she is the bestest." Teacher's pet, maybe? Her favorite part of the day is playing/running/wrestling with her friends (all boys) on the playground in the afternoon.

Jillian: She's really developing her own personality. She likes the alone playtime she gets when Evelyn goes to school, and is picking up information about letters and sounds from Evelyn. She loves rubber duckies, bubble baths, and chocolate milk. And is she ever a tease. She knows how to push her sibling's buttons.

Gordon: He is talking up a storm. He's also perfecting the art of tantrum-throwing and being stubborn. He is still obsessed with any screen that glows, and can climb pretty much any surface in the house. He loves Mommy and asks frequently to "go sopping?" (shopping), meaning he wants to get out of the house. He likes the dirt and water, and makes some awesome messes at home. At least he thinks they're awesome. He is Jilly's rival in teasing. He gets the better of his sisters at times.

Here's a picture my parents took of all of us last week. One decent one out of 15 similar shots. Ha!

Things to look forward to this year:  Two years of Ben's program done; a family road trip for the summer; hopefully one for Christmas as well; more sightseeing around the OC and Los Angeles (we may get Disneyland passes, maybe); and visits from family. I'm hoping to get enrolled in the local community college for this summer and fall and take some classes as well. It'll be pleasantly busy!

P.S. In the time it took me to write this post, Gordon spilled yogurt everywhere, Jilly cut her toe open, and Evelyn figured out how to get Gordon out of the crib all by herself. Another variety-filled day at our house! :)