Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The In-Between Week

This lull between Christmas and New Year's Day is such an important time for our family. It is a time to pause, to revel in the fun and goodies of the big traveling week before (and to dry out from them). It is a time to reflect on all we've done in 2010, and as always, a time to look ahead to the next year.



Last year I resolved to do less, namely less needless worry and less television. Though I generally waxed and waned on both counts, I'm fairly sure that on the whole, 2010 was a year of less. It had to be. We were too busy doing other things.
  • We somehow squeezed in four camping trips; the most memorable one featured the Grand Canyon, while the most chaotic one involved the girls. 
  • We took several vacations, two to cabins up north, one to a family-owned resort destination down south, south again for the big wedding weekend, and as always, one to the lake. 
  • We spent uncountable hours on local beaches building sand castles, in local parks riding bikes and jogging, at Como Zoo, at the pool, and in neighboring backyards. 
  • We've completed 33 books in the Magic Tree House Series (in addition to the gazillions of library books we've burned through), sending Maya off into the world of reading and giving Elliot a whole new story starter for her own creative jags.
  • I've written 500 to 1,000 words per day most days, and even stumbled on a way to get paid for a tiny fraction of them.
  • Joe stepped up his construction skills, playing a supporting role with the new deck and a starring one on the playhouse creation.
  • With the kids, we attended a few shows at the Children's Theater. Without them, we took in Wicked and John Prine and a number of swanky dining experiences.
  • Plus we've spent time each week Doing Good Together, one way or another.
Somehow, amid all this doing, we settled on the realization that one more little person was destined to join this leisurely hustle. One more round of newborn snuggles and sleepless nights, of toddler topples and first food splatters.
No fewer than two actual Santa's appeared for the girls this holiday.
Both were met with a barrage of detailed questions. Where's the North Pole, is Rudolph real? How do you get down the chimney? Luckily, one had a real beard and one did not, inspiring Maya to declare one the real Santa and the other a helper - the sort that rings the bells so that other kids have a warm place to stay on Christmas.

Before all of that begins, we have a few more items on the to-do list. Let's call them resolutions, enabled by a bountiful holiday and generous family.

  • Joe plans to pass this niggling last exam, and rededicate himself to the guitar.
  • Maya and Elle hope to learn piano, photography, ice skating, roller skating, big kid scooter-ing, and how to master the Wii.


  • As for me, I homesteading again, hoping for new chickens in the spring, a loaf of bread a day (thanks to this popular book and a friend's inspiration), something tangible to show for my lovely new sewing machine, and a fully researched outline for a second draft of my nano book. Oh, and a print copy of at least the first two years of this blog.

Phew. All that, plus the baby. Well, we all know follow through can be a bit of a challenge for me. At the very least there will be a baby. And a baby blanket. Off I go to thread that machine and practice my first seam... if that's even how you say that!

1 comment:

Anna Scott Graham said...

What a beautiful post!! The love and dedication to your family shines; I'm in awe of the outings and activities, but more thrilled for the little moments, library books, chickens and sand castles. Congrats to you all for the love expressed, and may 2011 be one full of continued joys, a new baby (hoot hoot!), noveling of course and all you dream for your most loved!

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