Happy 2011! It’s been a while, and I can only imagine how much you’ve missed me. We just got so busy with Christmas and New Year’s, and just having a good time, and my poor little blog ended up being a little neglected.
Christmas was great. Probably the best one I’ve had since having kids. At age 5, Ava really got it. The previous years have been fun, but this one was big. The anticipation was huge. The excitement was palpable. I got into it because she was so into it. On December 23, she announced that she didn’t think she’d be able to get to sleep on Christmas Eve due to being SO excited. Sleep didn’t end up being a problem, though. (An aside: being my very anxious child, she did get nervous that she might hear the reindeer’s bells when they landed on our roof and then be scared. Seriously, if that child didn’t have something to worry about, she just wouldn’t be content).
School ended with Ava’s Christmas Chapel, where Ava got to be Mary, and she sang a little solo. In front of a full sanctuary. I was proud. Really proud. That takes nerve. And my girl was beyond nervous that morning. There were tears. And lots of anxiety. But she’s Type A enough that her desire to succeed/not disappoint was more powerful than a case of stage fright, and she really pulled it off.
Of course, I had to make several inappropriate references to being Jesus’ grandmother. Hopefully, God appreciates the sense of humor He gave me.
In the spirit of the season, I took Ava to her first full-length Nutcracker performance. She now wants to be Clara, and declares daily that she can dance on point, while standing on her toes. We got a $20 picture with Clara. Mommy is a sucker.
Note my star struck daughter.
Christmas Day was great. Davis got a train table. Morgan and I spent 3 hours putting it together and then setting up the track and surrounding city, only to have Davis knock it down in about 10 seconds. Lesson learned. Train table for 20 month old was a little premature. He did like the blocks, though, as well as his Elmo books.
That pacifier has got to go, though. It has become a habit that I am not proud to have nurtured.
Ava adores Emily, her American Girl doll. As a friend put it, though, it’s kind of like having a third child. Emily goes everywhere with us, and we often have to dress her. Ava can’t quite dress Emily on her own, so I have to do it.
Now, on to my resolution. I’m not big on “work out more” or “eat better.” I already do those things, and while I could probably stand to do better, I just don’t like that for a resolution. So my resolution is to be more patient and enjoy the moments.
I’m about to finish reading Kelly Corrigan’s book, The Middle Place. I should actually say that I am about to finish devouring the book, because I have absolutely flown through it. If you haven’t read it, it’s fantastic. It’s Kelly’s memoir of her bout with breast cancer, but she tells her story in such a wonderful way that is both funny, sad, and just so relatable.
Reading her story is a good reminder of how fleeting life is. I, like every mother, am guilty of rushing my kids, of saying “in a minute, honey,” of snapping, of being impatient. There’s always so much to do, and sometimes taking the time to absorb the little moments with my kids, my husband, my parents, my friends – it all can just fall into the minutiae. I don’t want it to. I want to enjoy my life, and all of the people who make it special. So I vow in 2011 and beyond to be more patient, to listen more, to spend more quality time. And to savor the moments that seem mundane, but that really make life what it is.
Your children are adorable, and we have a huge pacifer issue with Liza. It's bad. My son threw his out at six months, but she is totally different.
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