Happy New Year!

I have finished the New Year's Cards.

2011-12-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

As you know, since you undoubtedly received one, which is why you're here. It's 9pm on Jan 31. I am in the process of breaking my Saturday night..habit? Rule? Discipline? Of trying to get into the shower about now, and into bed about 10, and failing, and whining about it endlessly until everyone is very relieved when I finally fall asleep.

As I was writing New Year's cards - interestingly, they look like, and are sold in the same aisle as, the Christmas cards, but they don't say Merry Christmas but instead something non-sectarian like "Peace in all seasons". [Hmmm - so theoretically, we could send them in July if we got a mind to. That hadn't occurred to me until now. Good thing to keep in mind when shopping the card department. ]

The boys are building the Lego White House that Eric received for Christmas. Building Legos has become an important Christmas vacation tradition, one that I heartily support because it doesn't involve me. [The rest of the year, may I point out, I am deeply, deeply involved with Legos. It is certainly NOT the case that Mom doesn't play Legos.] But last year, on the 28th or so, Ian and Daddy spent an entire morning at the dining table, building a giant underwater robot scorpion of some sort, while I reclined on the couch, knitting and watching a movie...completely unmolested. It was my Christmas Robot Scorpion Miracle, and I very much want it to happen every year.

Those photos at the top are obviously from Ian's first day of kindergarten. He's attending Vansville Elementary, which we LOVE. (He loves it too, but is more reserved in his love since he's never been to school and has nothing to compare it to.

A few more 'firsts' this year:

Ian got a 2-wheeler on Easter.

Ian's first magic show, in October.

I'm not sure if this was Ian's first concert or not, but we certainly had a fabulous time listening to, and then meeting, Keith and Ezra from the wonderful Trout Fishing in America.

More to come. We love you.

Some Photos to get us started

2011-12-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hello from 2011. A weird year (for me, at least - this is Betsy) but very happy.

That first photo -- the one in the header - is the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, on the Ellipse in downtown DC. Eric was one of the entertainers, warming up the VIPs.

See, there he is. My brother Sandy went with him to staff him and take pictures, which obviously paid off. Notice the White House over his shoulder. Yeah. We're Washington insiders. Not tourists at all.

This is a picture of Ian getting his library card. I can't recall what month this was - March? - But that jacket's way too small for him now, so it was a while ago. I told him that if he learned to write his name, he could get his own library card.

See? He dressed up for the occasion. He also wears that tshirt to weddings. When we let him.

I wanted to find a picture of me. too, which is harder since I'm the one behind the camera. But, hey, here's one. Statistically, if you were to look in on me at a random moment, you'd probably be most likely to catch me in that pose.

More to come.
We love you.

one random highlight of my year.

2010-12-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

2010

December:

Eric and I are sitting down over lunch, as Christmas approaches, to go over gift lists and menus and schedules and who can do what when.

My list is on a yellow pad.
His list is in his Blackberry. (I have a blackberry. Why isn't my list in my Blackberry? Hmmm. Something to ponder.)

"This piece of music will just play for a second while the list loads,' says Eric.

I am incredulous. "Wait - your to-do list has its own theme music? You're kidding."

He's not.

Here's the theme song for Eric's Christmas to-do list:

His is actually the Bing Crosby White Christmas version. But I thought this one was nice too.

2010-12-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

ran into this on some random person's blog. Recently at church, we've been trying to create a little island of peace in the crazy hectic Xmas season. This would go nicely.

2010-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

As my friend/coworker Mark helped me shoehorn a Christmas tree into the trunk of my Prius, he said "Hey - you know you get this OUT again, you know."

And I said, "oh, come on. If I can get it wedged in, it only stands to reason that I'll be able to get it out. That's just logical, right?"

My friend Mark is really smart and really kind. He did not make fun of me. And he won't, when I tell him about how I struggled tonight.

But it's up, and lit; Ian ran around turning lights off, so we could bask in the Christmas lights, and said "Hey! We should have a party! Here, in this room!"

Right This Very Minute...

2010-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

I made a quick drive around our small town, Laurel, tonight. It was dismaying.

With a number of exceptions, the houses and yards of Laurel seem kind of depressed. It's as if they're bumming around in sweats and those fake Uggs you get at the Walmart, hair washed and then just tucked under an earflap hat.

Of course it's been a hard year. There are quite a few empty houses (including our old one), and last year's snows knocked down some of the majestic trees that are like Christmas light landmarks. And of course everyone's trying to save money wherever they can (including us) and maybe an inflatable Santa and a full load of C6 bulbs don't seem that important when you're underemployed or worried about the next round of RIFs.

But come on! It's 2 weeks to Christmas, for Christ's sake! It won't kill you to slap up that old wreath. It's in the garage. You pass it every day.

I'm pretty sure it'll make you feel better. A little.

So that's why, at 11pm, in 22 degrees and wind whipping flurries through the air, I was standing on a chair on our patio, overextending to outline our little porch with lights. "I know I can't get you to stop," says Eric, "but at least put on a coat." (I am bad at estimating how long things will take. My default estimate for any project is 'like, a second.' So I am forever running outside barefoot or bareheaded when brighter people would protect themselves.)

Anyway, we now light up the frigid night, in honor of the Incarnation. We need a little Christmas - apparently, nearly everyone does. Happy to help.

2010-12-12T19:32:00.001-08:00

13 days 'till Christmas!
10 days 'til Ian's birthday!

Hi! I just sent out some Christmas cards with this blog address on it...
so I guess it's time to post something. We skipped both cards and website last year, so, um....

<^>
!hi!
!Surprise!
!We still like you!
!We are still alive!
We want you to have a
wonderful holiday
and a happy new year!
llllll
------------
\______/

(It's a tree. You can tell it's a tree, right?)

and here's Ian's favorite song of the moment:

He's an 80's kinda guy.

More as the days get shorter...
betsy
eric
and ian.

2008-12-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

2009

"Well! THAT happened!"
- phillip seymour hoffman, in State Street, 2005

2008

Hey, little dude, where did the year go?

Yeah, I have no idea either.

But in the next few days, we'll all be collaborating on our year-end wrap-up of news, photos and funny stories, for all of you who we don't see in person. Or text. Or whatever.

Some highlights, off the top of my head: Ian turned 3 last week. We celebrated with the traditional Baskin-Robbins cake.

Eric turned 47, back in April. I do believe he had a gig on his birthday.

2008 was Eric's second year as a full-time entertainer and educator, and my 8th as a religious professional. (SO PLEASE SEND MONEY.)

Oh, I'm kidding. We don't want you to send us money.

Bank wires are much faster.

But we know, judging from the news these days, none of you has any either. The house needs work, the car needs new tires.(I just typed "The cat needs new tires", which I want to sit down and sketch right now! Can't you just see her up on the lift? Fabulous.)

And of course, people keep dying, dammit. My best friend from childhood, David, died a few weeks ago. I had the unbelievable honor of helping with his funeral.

So obviously it's a hard time to be hopeful, for me as much as anyone, but, just as obviously, hope and even a certain amount of thankfulness persist. "Spring eternal," even.

Every day, my child drives me ~~around the bend~~, ~~over the edge~~ a little crazy. But every day, we also laugh our heads off, sing together, pray at bedtime and hug and hold hands. He knows all the words to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and both parts to "Baby, It's Cold Outside." That's pretty good, for barely 3.

I love my job more than I ever have. I love my husband more than I ever have, though I've loved him for an awfully long time, so it's hard to quantify that confidently. I am trying to take better care of myself (in part because 'people keep dying', see above.) I'm at a kind of a weird place with God (ibid.) but God has never ditched me yet, and I'm counting on that relationship surviving as well.

I knit my sis-in-law a really cute sweater for Christmas.

I made some pretty good vegetable soup tonight.

Betsy

2008-03-03T20:38:00.000-08:00