Our Late Holiday Letter

Well, even with the computer in my house, (and no school) I still didn't get three minutes to write a holiday letter (not that it takes three, but i didn't even get that many!) so online I am even late. I really enjoyed getting all the fun pictures and the few lovely letters full of news from everyone, so I still am going to send out a picture with the site here, because I feel the need to reciprocate.

I got to meet my nephew! I'm an aunt! The thing about becoming an aunt, especially like I did (long distance), is that you don't have to do anything or change your life to become one! You just get the privelege of loving up another delicious baby. Gino is great. He's energetic and chatty and a solid boy. It was great fun swapping babies with Christie, and as usual she and Brian were awesome with Rowan, who thinks the world of them. I said, hopefully Gino likes me at least a little bit of how much Rowan likes you.

The grandparents were great too. I pulled some good cards with my own parents and DG's since they are so loving and responsive and caring and kind. couldn't have found a better bunch of them if I were trying.



so on to our holiday letter:

We have been incredibly blessed this year, with our little family growing and our bigger family maintaining their health and sanity. Rachael has a wonderful boyfriend who we all love, and is halfway through her program at Naropa for Art Therapy. They hope to be in Fort Collins together soon, and that she can finish out her practicum there. As I said, Brian and Christie have a wonderful baby boy and are fabulous parents pouring on the love for Gino. (and even sharing some with our boys)

Tom and Pat have been surviving multiple-leg delays on flights all over the damn country to visit us and rescue us with delicious food and serious grandparent love, and we are so thankful to them for their continued trips from NY. We're going out there in March to see the extended fam and introduce the babies. Tom made Rowan the best baby bed, and the boys some helecopters that are very cool. He also does countless projects G & I can't possibly get to and helps our chaotic house get just a little more organized every time he comes. Pat takes care of all the rest, baking and sewing and doing laundry and keeping the kitchen spotless. I hope they don't collapse of exhaustion every time they leave, but I do think they might.

My parents also support us in our endeavors as parents, and take care of the boys regularly. Thank goodness or I'd be checked in to some loony bin for certain by now. They were called into duty with frightening regularity this first quarter of school, and I'm looking for some paid help to not bring them to the point of collapse since they usually work (way too hard) all day and then come and wrangle a 2 and a half year old and an infant. Makes me tired just thinking about it!

I picked the perfect day to write this letter too, because I feel amazingly normal and fairly well-rested. We have submitted to Milo's will. He eats every two hours around the clock. I am not kidding or exaggerating, and if you want to hear him scream then you feed him less frequently. As for me, I sleep while feeding him and we are both happy. He spends some part of every night in the crib in Rowan's room, and amazingly, DR doesn't even wake up when he pages for the next feeding.

Rowan now responds to all comments, suggestions, threats or questions with WHY!!! not even necessarily a question, more of a statement. yeesh. he must be two or something. We think he's amazing and fascinating and sometimes really annoying. Like when he tells you 75 times that he's hungry. In a row. The power of repetition is really underestimated as a crazy-making tool. of course, all kids know this i suppose. He goes to preschool on friday mornings and really likes doing that. Two girls from our playgroup are in his class, so he has a neat community that is overlapping.

I find parenting Milo more peaceful and he is also (when not crying) an amiable and lovely baby. He adores DR and watches him always. Even when he is being laid on top of, his mood is patient and curious, while we freak out on DR for sitting on him, he just coos or watches his hands, totally unaffected.

George's play interests have shifted for the time being to more local activities, especially in winter he climbs indoors and is on an indoor soccer league. This summer saw him playingin an outdoor league on a full size field in the hottest part of the day usually on Sundays, so I think he'll be happy to be inside for a little bit. My school has definitely added more stress to the mix at home (in addition to having two kids) and he is silly busy at work, so he suffers from continual overload. He is however an amazing daddy and now firmly first in DR's book.

If you read farther down, you'll find that we have put our plans for renovation on serious hold and I am quite fine with that. Especially now that I see hope in both boys being fine in a room sleeping together, it's really just not as important as continuing on our path to more financial freedom. We bought a car this year too, so I am not stressed out about driving any more (all hail the SUBARU AWD!!!) and so that's more debt to knock off. G's Jeep is hanging in there, but there are plenty of moments when we wonder how long we can hold out on a car for him too. pleaseoplease, just one more year!!!

In food news, we have succeeded in avoiding buying almost any produce in a store for most of the year, eating locally and in season even when G hates it. After reading BK's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and now (for xmas from Rach and Frankie-- This Organic Life) I refuse to buy bananas and most other things that are a. out of season, or b. never able to grow here.* On the plus side, I started Pizza night on Fridays and that is a big hit. Rowan loves it and makes his own pizzas.

We crammed in some great trips at the beginning of the year before I was really too preggo to do anything, and are looking forward to getting back into travel mode, especially if it's to our very own yurt on our very own land. hope for us that we find that place.

In all, you can see, that we feel incredibly blessed, and do not take lightly all the gifts that we are given. With all the busyness that we have, our friends are not as close as either of us would like, and I hope with this coming year, (in spite of what is on the daily planner) to regain closer connections or build some new ones. We know many babies are on the way, and some of our loved ones are ill and we send our love deep and wide to help welcome the new and comfort the ailing.

I cannot end this letter without at least acknowledging the fact that this year will be a very influential and important voting year. Mother Jones did a fantastic piece on all of the candidates and their actual stance and track records on all the main issues of the day, you may want to check it out. I don't see many places that aren't owned by one or two guys offering news and you may find that the mainstream media might present a particular point of view that may not be in the best interest of people not like the owners of the for-profit news companies. Okay, I had to say it.

George got me my first bumper sticker for our car. It says:
Power to the Peaceful
please let it be so in November.
love from us here on the corner,

Sarah George Rowan (DR-Darling Rowan) and Milo (DM- Darling Milo)
(Cabot and Eliza too)

*One weakness is a box of clementines in December. i know they aren't different from bananas being flown in from wherever. I just can't resist them and they take me to my little flat in Seville where I bought (and ate) them by the kilo.