While preparing our Christmas card for this year, I looked back through our year of pictures trying to find some pictures that represented our entire year. The constant challenge of sending out a message that surprises the people who see you everyday and yet still gives information to the people you don't see as often. But, as always seems to happen, I seemed to surprise even myself as I look back and see how far we have come. As time continues to seem to fly by in lightening speed, it is amazing to look back and see all you did in just 12 months. So please indulge me as I get a bit nostalgic...
The new year found us celebrating at the Ecker lake house with friends. We had a blast just hanging out with friends, playing cards and drinking a bit too much. The kids had a blast playing games with their buddies. It seemed a great way to say hello to a new year. When you start out a year on a good note, it seems like the entire year will be that way. And it sort of was!
Despite a few moments we don't care to repeat, we had a year full of blessings. Each child remained healthy and happy. Todd remains employed at a good job which allows me to continue to stay home. We have amazing families and friends to support us. We are able to travel a bit and expose our children to new places and people. We have amazing school for our kids to attend. We are finally sleeping through the night!
Looking back at Colin's year, he has changed so much. I know that my kids changed quickly when they were babies, I knew to expect that. I didn't realized how much he would change between 8 and 10! He started out the year on ski team. It was tough for him because it was his first year. He wasn't born in skis like some of the kids, but he likes skiing just as much as they do. He was never the fastest, but he never gave up either. I was always so impressed by his determination. That determination paid off over the course of his year in more than just skiing. In school, he struggled with the boys in his class, but ended up finding really good friends. Some of those kids who were bullies became his buddies because he didn't let it get him down (for too long anyway). He also has a gift for being able to try new things. He isn't afraid of change, so he decided to try a new sport this summer, lacrosse. He struggled at first, but he ended up making amazing progress and really enjoyed himself.
He started fourth grade in September. Since then, he has shown increased independence. He doesn't need us as much and can handle things on his own. I love seeing his understanding of the world increase, he can ask complex questions and can understand why the answers are easy. His sense of humor has also matured to the point were Todd and I will be blown away sometimes at the things he comes up with. He is still little and doesn't like people to point that out, but he doesn't let that change how he feels about himself. As a Mom, I am so proud of who he is growing into. Don't get me wrong, he still has plenty of things to work on, but I am very proud of him.
Zachary has had quite the year of change. He started out the year at Aspen Academy in the first grade. He was just getting use to the idea of all day school and realizing that sometimes school is very boring. Zach is challenged by very little in life and so he developed an attitude to match his boredom.
He finished Aspen in June with full intention of going back in the fall. But, I decided that I just couldn't keep going to three different school to meet all of my children's different needs...and Colin didn't get back into Aspen and Molly had to stay in preschool. So, in July we decided to switch Zach to the same school Colin attends, Westwood, for second grade. Zach does not like change and he doesn't like it when he doesn't have control of a situation. I thought this change would push him over the edge. It was hard on him, but he survived. He developed migraine headaches in October, most likely from the stress of the change. But on the bright side, he was placed in a 2nd/3rd grade split class and they challenge him every day. He isn't the smartest in his class and he hates that! We have seen a competitive side develop in him over the course of the fall. It has been fun to watch him focus his energy to accomplish a goal. And he is happy, even though he won't admit that the change was good for him.
He likes nature and animals best in all the world. He would be happy to never have to go inside again! We love to watch him care for nature and the creatures in it. We also love that he will take any opportunity that comes along to give to others. He loves to make cards and gifts for his family and friends. We hope his generous spirit continues indefinitely.
Molly started 2011 preparing to turn 4! Four was so much better than three. Just 12 months later, we are finding out that five is much better than four. I guess she is ready for five, because Molly has grown up a lot in 2011. Her teachers talk about how she is the most social in her class. She makes sure everyone is included, which makes me proud. She made cards for each of her classmates for Christmas so they wouldn't forget her over the break. Relationships are very important to her. So, she just doesn't understand it when people are mean on purpose. She is developing opinions and a bit of attitude the closer she gets to five, but her kind, generous spirit shine through most of the time. She decided early in the year that it might not be a good idea to become a mermaid when she grows up, instead being a Mom and a nurse would be a good idea.
She loved that the Packers won the Superbowl on her birthday! She is sure there will be a repeat in 2012 (and every year after that...wouldn't that make Todd happy?). She loved going camping for the first time because the girl loves an adventure! And just to prove she is ready to grow up, she loved getting to visit Kindergarten. She had no problem participating in the classroom activities for a morning and didn't understand why we couldn't just keep going to kindergarten because preschool is SO boring...well except for playing with her friends and eating snack. She was also so excited to get an American Girl doll for Christmas so she could be like her older friends from Mom's Group. And just to prove she was a big girl, she gave up sucking her thumb, which earned her a trip to the American Girl Cafe for lunch! She is definitely ready for five.
We hope that 2012 will be as good to us as 2011...we plan to start the year off at the lake again just to keep the good vibes coming! (of course most importantly for the purposes of this blog...I hope 2012 provides many good stories to keep us laughing!)
Happy New Year!
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