The end of 2008

Wow, another year has gone by. Believe it or not, we really will be sending out cards. We're calling them New Year's cards. They'll go out on Friday. And yes, you may call us slackers--at least, those of you who managed to get out your holiday cards around the actual holidays. Those who didn't...we identify best with you. Just so you know.



OK, my resolutions. I did pretty well with last year's. This year, I'm resolving to be more Earth-friendly. I made some pretty big adjustments this year (that were surprisingly easy to make) but will make some more for next year--and will happily write about them here. Heh heh heh. I'm also resolving to be more organized, in the hopes that it will leave me more time to spend with those that I love. And play with our Wii.

At this time last year, I didn't know this little boy. I knew his face, but I didn't know him. I had no idea how much I was missing until we brought him home.

Last year, we thought about getting a Wii. This year, Jason got us a Wii for Hanukkah. What an awesome husband!
Last year, Melkamu didn't get to celebrate Hanukkah with us. This year, he had a great time at Patrick's class Hanukkah party, and we celebrated every night. He does a pretty good sound mimic of the blessings over the candles.

Last year, my kids didn't have each other to hug. This year, I get tons of happy-tear-inducing moments like this one. I will NEVER tire of them.


Last year, Jason decorated some gingerbread cookies in weird and decidedly un-Christmasy ways. This year...oh wait, he did the same thing. Here we have a sampling of them. On the counter (top row, left): Blue Man Group, the Eye of Sauron, Old Yeller, accident victim #1, (bottom row, left) fat gingerbread man whose button is popping off, Harry Potter, a vampire, a shot star (instead of a shooting star), accident victim #2--complete with license plate embedded on his chest, and a witch burning at the stake. Jason is quite talented, but scary.

Last year, we had a quiet Christmas at home with just the three of us. This year, we had a lovely Christmas with Jason's family. Mom, Dad, and Adam came to celebrate with us. (This is as close as I got to a picture with all three of them in one.)

Last year, we only had one cute kid by the stockings on Christmas morning. This year, two perfectly adorable ones!

This last picture has nothing to do with New Year's, but I thought it was funny: Patrick got up to go to the bathroom at some point last night and was apparently too tired to make it back to his bed. I got upstairs to find him curled up on the bathroom rug. *snort*

Have a wonderful New Year--come and see us in 2009!

Shameless begging

If you happen to know anyone who is pregnant and due at the end of March or later, and they're interested in natural childbirth, PLEASE give them my name and number. I have a Bradley class starting on January 4th that has only got 3 couples signed up, and I can accomodate up to 6.

I can work out payment arrangements with them if finances are a concern.

Thanks!

*chirp* *chirp* *chirp*--but worth it for the pictures

Those would be crickets. It's been quiet around here lately, hasn't it? Here was the beginning of December for me:


1. Patrick's birthday = birthday breakfast and dinner at home + cake in school on his birthday + party at the Children's Museum for almost 20 of his friends the next Sunday.


2. End of the semester = many, MANY papers to grade + finals to give + finals to grade + grades to record + students to reassure/console.


3. Lessons and Carols with Emory choir = rehearsals almost every night of the week of Patrick's birthday (except for on his birthday) + concert Friday night + two concerts Saturday.


I know there was more, like Rhianna's baby shower, but those three things took me STRAIGHT THROUGH from December 1st (1st night of Rehearsal Week for Lessons and Carols) to December 15th. Every single day was devoted to one or more of those things.


This past week has been devoted to shoveling out my house from the clutter of two weeks of "Mama's busy with other things" and preparing for the holidays. Then today, I went to an all-day pharmacology seminar. (See, I'm cool!)


Tonight, I finally downloaded the Thanksgiving pictures. Why yes, it is December 20th. Thanksgiving was November 27th, you say? Hmm, how about that. So, you wanna see some pictures? Here's the past three weeks in photos (most of them bad or at least partially blurry; thankfully, our normal camera is functional again):

Melkamu is, as always, adorable in his jammies

Patrick discovered that he could get balloons static-y on his head and then shoot them up to the ceiling by pulling on them. Those aren't helium balloons up there.

I graduated another Bradley class--four couples, and the first has already had their baby!

I like this picture of the kids together--Patrick is always protective of Kamu.

Then we went to Utah for Thanksgiving, whereupon the boys were showered with presents by Grandpa and Grandma M.

Melkamu sitting on his new sleeping bag.

Patrick spent a lot of time drawing on his new whiteboard, which was a brilliant gift!

Jason and Grandpa M relaxing prior to the birthday cake for all three of my guys.

Patrick and Grandma M.

The boys love their Grandma M!

We were in Nevada for part of Thanksgiving. This is Jason and Patrick climbing a hill behind the condo.


Melkamu in what Jason calls his "typical pose"--reaching up to be held with Elmo in one hand!

Jason took Kamu climbing up the hill later.

Patrick and Grandpa M on a 4-wheeler. Patrick's typical phrase: "YAHOO--GO FASTER, GRANDPA!!!"

Kamu and Uncle Adam relaxing after a 4-wheeler ride (for Adam, not Kamu. He's still too little.)

Patrick got a fishing pole for his birthday!

Patrick's party at the Children's Museum. (There was actually another table with more kids at it. It was fun but crazy!)

Little Carlton Banks? No, it's Kamu.

I managed to get a corneal abrasion and infection over Thanksgiving (it wasn't pinkeye), so I got new glasses. I actually like them! (And in another week, I'll be done with the antibiotic and steroid drops...finally.)

My guys are so cute!

Patrick finished another term of gymnastics. He doesn't want to do it again, but he had fun. He'll be doing tennis in the spring!

Appetizers

The tidbits to munch on before I post about our wonderful Thanksgiving trip to visit Jason's parents (because I have to download photos):

1. It was a really wonderful trip. And Jason only lost $100 gambling in Mesquite! Which, coincidentally, is all he brought to lose gambling. Mind you, I won more than I lost...

2. My "profits" will be buying a new pair of shoes (pathetic though they are--you just don't win much at $5 Blackjack tables when you're only starting with $100)

3. I'm back on antibiotics. For pinkeye this time (but it's bacterial, not the viral that I thought I had (but didn't) several weeks ago). Thank goodness for doctors who will call in antibiotics prescriptions from 2000 miles away on a Sunday morning so that I didn't have to get on the plane in so much pain. And thank goodness for antibiotic eyedrops that work quickly enough that I could open my eye without wincing in (too much) pain within a few hours.

4. This is the third time I've been on antibiotics in a month. It's really sad.

5.
I read this:





And this:

over Thanksgiving. Must go get Eclipse and Breaking Dawn tomorrow. Who's up for the movie of Twilight? I know I'm late to the party, but I'm here and would love to go see it. The books are mighty compelling.


6. I have heard from several friends from the past in the last few weeks--and feel absolutely thrilled! I hope that you're all here and reading, and will keep in touch!

7. We lost our diaper bag sometime in the last few weeks and realized it right before we left for Thanksgiving. This wouldn't be a big loss but for the fact that my soft-backpack carrier for Melkamu was in it. Sigh. I will be making a new one. It wasn't hard to make or expensive, but it's been so useful and the carrier that I had to use for him in the airports wasn't nearly as comfortable for either of us. But it's still better than traveling with a stroller.

8. OK, I'm off to finish my lecture for tomorrow. This is the last week of classes. Next week comes finals and then I'm done for the semester. I am taking off the entire week after that to do almost nothing and regain my health. I hope.

Melkamu is two years old!

So let me tell you all about my big boy! He's so amazing. He's about 31 pounds and quite tall, only about a head shorter than Patrick. He's growing out of a few of his 2T shirts and the pants fit him perfectly. I suspect he'll be into 3T by spring. He is a bruiser and wants to be in the thick of anything that happens, whether it's the dogs playing or his big brother building with blocks. He wants to play all the time, especially if he can get you to chase him around and tickle him.

He's quite the toddler as well! Melkamu apparently realized that he was about to turn 2 and has been ramping up the production of important toddler phrases. Instead of shaking his head, now he says "No!" while shaking his head. This morning I heard the first "I do it!". And from the "mmmmmmmm" that comes out when he grabs something, I know that "Mine!" is not far behind. But along with those come the heart-melting ones, like "Up!" when he wants to be held and "Luh yu" (if you ask him to say "I love you"). He uses his strength to give incredibly strong and heartfelt hugs, and never fails to blow kisses after saying "Bye bye!"

Melkamu has turned into a little reader, which warms his mama's heart as the daughter of a librarian. Lately he insists on having a book in his crib with him so that he can "read" before going to sleep, just like Patrick does. His current favorites are his Elmo bath book, his Elmo lift-the-flaps book, and his Elmo puppet book. And Goodnight Moon. If he wants to hear a book, it's often Goodnight Moon, Elmo, Elmo, and Elmo. There might be a few more but I have to admit, I'm remembering why I was so glad that Patrick didn't fall victim to the siren's song of Elmo. Kamu also found the enormous Elmo doll that Patrick got at one point and has been dragging it around with him nonstop. The birthday card that Grandma and Grandpa M sent had Elmo on it and I had to convince Melkamu to leave it in the car when we got to daycare today--I'd been unable to convince him to leave it at home.

We had a great birthday party for Kamu the other day. It was a little insane but wonderful to be able to celebrate with our friends. I think there were 14 kids. I didn't try to plan games due to the ages of the kids, but they had a great time with the ball pit that was Kamu's birthday present from Bubbi and Grandpa G, as well as all the other toys around here. Today we sent cupcakes to school with Kamu and then went out for Ethiopian food to celebrate his birthday. As always, the people at Meskerem are the best and we had a wonderful dinner.

We got the first picture of this strong and handsome face 50 weeks and 1 day ago

We met this beautiful and terrified boy 8 months and 20 days ago

And today, we celebrated with this incredible angel who has brought so much joy and happiness to our family. He has us all wrapped around his little fingers and we are so happy to have him here with us.

Photos next time, promise

Our camera bit the big one, so our Halloween pictures are on a camera that Jason brought home from work. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with our camera dock and the memory card is too small for the slot on my computer at home, so I have to wait until he brings home the cord. Hopefully he did that today and I can get the pictures tonight.

I didn't believe the election results until I watched McCain's concession speech. Then I bounced around the living room with giddy excitement. I know it was poor manners but I felt such hope at that moment that I couldn't help it. I agreed with Obama's politics way more than I ever did with McCain's, so that makes me happy, and I am so thrilled that my children will grow up seeing that people can achieve their dreams no matter their color.

We just have to change that pesky "natural born citizen" thing in case Melkamu wants to be President. Patrick has already decided against it since he doesn't want to leave home to live in the "big White House." Even though he'd have to be 35 to be there. G-d help me if my sons still live at home at 35.

One of these years Jason and I will be healthy. We miss that. First it was my walking pneumonia that started with an annoying cough at the end of September and was finally diagnosed more than 3 weeks later (because I didn't go to the doctor until then). Then Jason got sick with something that sounded suspiciously like my walking pneumonia, but he never went to the doctor and so we'll never know. Then he immediately got an evil sinus-clogging cold, which I promptly developed and have been suffering with ever since. And now I think I might have viral pinkeye.

The boys have been sniffling and coughing a bit but nothing worse, which is encouraging. I don't know how they're avoiding getting the germs that Jason and I keep passing back and forth, but thank goodness for it.

Happy events and pictures that will soon be posted: Halloween, the shower some of my wonderful friends hosted to celebrate Melkamu, and the birthdays of everyone in my house except me over the next few weeks! Someday, perhaps, we will have a family member whose birthday is not within 2 weeks of a major holiday at the end of the year.

Anyone else feel actively sick about the election tomorrow?

I swear, if I could stick my head under my pillow and just leave it there for the next 36 hours, I would do it. I've never felt so scared about what the future could be in four years if this doesn't go the way I hope it will.

I am so glad I voted last week. The three hours that Patrick and I stood in line in the 40-degree weather were worth it.

And on a related, and somewhat surprising note, no one has either a) keyed my car, or b) stolen my Obama-Biden magnet off the back of it yet! Things in the area around my campus are so bad for those supporting Obama that they've been forced to nail the Obama signs about 8 feet up in trees if they are to have any hope of keeping them.

Just go vote. I know I don't agree with the political views of everyone who reads this, but please go vote either way. Until then, I will be cleaning my house in preparation for hosting my supper club tomorrow night--our theme is "Celebrate America!"

(Next up will be pictures of the kids in their Halloween costumes, I promise.)