10 January happenings

Besides snow (and some oddly warm weather), some other things have happened in January. Here are are 10 of them . . . 

#1--The celebration continues. Sara gets more fun stuff in the mail to celebrate her three awesome years.

#2--Go Knights! David has been playing basketball this season. He has learned so much! It's been great. His team and some other teams were honored during halftime at one of the Kings high school games.

#3 PJs and Piggybacks. Mary and Sara have quite the collection of matching footie pajamas. I love my cuddly girls. One of Sara's favorite ways to hang out with Mary is via piggyback ride. Mary takes such good care of Sara. She gives Sara her breakfast, she helps her get ready in the morning, she did all of her class valentines for her, she dances with her, she helps her get bathed, she colors with her, she cuddles with her, just to name a few of the ways Mary is an awesome big sister.

#4--Black Belt Test Prep. David worked very, very hard in January preparing for his black belt test. I am amazed by how much information he has in his mind and body. I don't think he realizes how amazing it is. His test was last Friday. All that preparation paid off! Black belt posts coming soon!

#5--A trip to the Children's Museum. One random Monday we went to the Children's Museum. I think our school district was the only one with that day off because there was no body at the museum. It was great! David and Mary had such a great time! They had the freedom to work and play and solve problems. Sara was a little overwhelmed, but David and Mary took her under their wings. She loves any reason to spend time with them. It was a wonderful morning.

#6--We're moving in April! In January we found out we're moving to Edwards AFB at the beginning of April. This is unusual, as most military moves are in the summer. We could probably have found a way to keep the kids here until the end of the school year, but staying together as a family is our first priority. Fortunately our kids are young enough (i.e., no one is yet in high school or even middle school) that moving them during the school year isn't too complicated. It's true they will only have six or seven weeks of school in California before summer break. But this way they'll have a chance to make friends and get to know the school.




#7--Reliving the Nutcracker. The Nutcracker DVDs came in! Mary was finally able to see all that action she missed while backstage. Sara loved watching the dancers and trying to copy their moves. The girls spent a Saturday morning watching it.

#8--The Pinewood Derby! The Pinewood Derby was a big deal in our house this year. Greg is the Cubmaster, so he planned the event. This year the Cub Scout age girls were invited to participate too. So Greg got to help two kids make cars. (Yippeee! Not. We're lame parents, remember?) Actually, Greg did a great job of making sure David and Mary made their own cars. (I guess this is a real problem? Greg had a quick, small race right after the Pinewood Derby so any grown-ups who wanted to could race their own cars. This way dads can make their own cars and get out of the way of their kids. It also allowed younger siblings to race a car down the track if they wanted. This turned out to be a really good idea.) David and Mary did a great job on their cars! The event was a success. It was super fun having the girls too. It was bigger and more festive and more exciting. There were so many families there! Greg did a great job organizing the event. He made sure all the kids got to race a lot, that it was fair, and that it ran smoothly. Most of all, we're pleased with all the thought and hard work David and Mary put into their cars. They both did well, and we're also thankful for their help in pulling off this big event.

#9--We cleaned the house! Yes, it had been a long time, so, yes, this was a big deal.



#10--Montessori Observation/Practice Teaching! The last week of January I was observing in a Montessori school in Indianapolis. The first week of February I was teaching. I was working with a teacher at the Indiana Montessori Academy in Carmel. The school is only about 2 1/2 hours away, so I was able to come home some evenings (like for the Pinewood Derby). But leaving at 5 am is a killer for this night-person, so fortunately I was able to stay in Carmel some of the time. It was such a great experience! It's a very lovely school. I am incredibly fortunate for the connections and mentoring I had there. It was inspiring and very helpful. I might even be brave enough to open my own school one day! I was able to go because Greg took a week off of work, and my mom came out the second week. I obviously couldn't do this without their support. I'm also grateful to my kids for being so strong and resilient. Having your mom gone is the worst! But this was the last of it. Just five weeks of exams this summer--but they will be coming with me for that. I think I can see the ending of this Montessori training. . .

Snow days

The big, record-setting snowstorms have mostly passed us by this year. This resulted in tears from David, who felt utterly left out of history-in-the-making, and sighs of relief from me. As much as I love snow and don't mind the cold, I've grown impatient with winter. Most of all, I think I'm tired of snow pants and gloves and boots and wet socks all over the house. I think I might be ready for some of that California sunshine!

Fortunately for my desert-bound kids, Mother Nature has given us a bit of snow and even a few snow days this winter. . .

I need to pause and comment on how much David loves shoveling the driveway. It's awesome! He can't wait to get out there and work hard, and he feels a sense of accomplishment when it's finished. Greg hasn't had to shovel the driveway once this year. (Me neither.) And the girls like to get in on the action too by shoveling the sidewalks.

In conclusion, snow is fun, and Sara has the best brother and sister ever in the whole universe. The snow may not go with her to the desert but David and Mary will.

Our not so tiny girl is three!

Happy birthday to Sara! She is three today! What a big girl! Though she would disagree with that--she insists that she is "tie-tie," her word for tiny.

Sara loves grilled cheese sandwiches, so we had a mommy-daughter lunch date at the perfect place!

But the real celebration was yesterday. A pony party! (Also not a bad way to celebrate switching back to 9 o'clock church. Hallelujah.) This time it was just our little family . . . and the My Little Ponies, of course. (Who have become something of an inside joke in our family. Long story.) It was perfect!

Daddy and Mary set up the party (while Mom and Sara took much needed naps).

 Mary baked the cake herself in her new oven! And she did decorated it too! She is the best party planner/party executor ever!

Then it was time to party . . .

 The birthday girl!

 Happy birthday dear Sara!

Sara loves cake and ice cream. Seriously. She lives for cake and ice cream.

Presents! (She had lots of practice at Christmastime.)

She also has a big brother and big sister who "help." (And also love her very very much.)

Looks like Christmas morning again . . .what fun!

Happy birthday, Sara!

You are our sunshine. You are smart and fun and caring and silly and beautiful and sensitive and observant. You love dancing with Mary and playing cars with David. You like to read books and do puzzles. You like colors and animals. You can put on your backpack and your pants by yourself. You can hang up your coat and clean up your room. You can also melt anyone's heart and brighten everyone's day. It feels very special to have you in our family. Like the biggest privilege and honor of our lives. We love you, baby bear.

2015

Celebrating Sara's 2nd birthday with cousins!

January

We committed to getting out and about more in the Cincinnati area, visiting the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park one weekend and the William Howard Taft National Historic Site the next. (Did you know EIGHT presidents are from Ohio? We have flirted with the idea of visiting all of their historic sites, but so far we've only made it to President Taft's house.)

At the beginning of January our sweet Sara turned two! Since Santa Claus did not bring her a single tooth for Christmas, I decided it was time to worry about that darling toothless grin. Although she wouldn't be officially diagnosed until March, it was in January that we learned about ectodermal dysplasia. As far as rare genetic disorders go, this one isn't too scary. Phew. Sara is smart and healthy. But she will definitely face challenges. We spent much of the winter and spring figuring out this ectodermal dysplasia thing--medically, but also, and even more so, emotionally. (That is one reason why I stopped blogging. I was still processing . . .)

Snow day in February!

February

Life continued as usual. David continued to work hard in Cub Scouts, Tae Kwon Do, and piano. Mary danced two nights a week and continued playing piano. Sara liked her MusikGarten classes, and she enjoyed her sessions with Miss Becky, the speech-pathologist who visited our home regularly in 2015. Greg continued to work hard for the dean at AFIT, as well as teaching and advising students. I was busy with coursework for my Montessori training program and looking at schools for Sara.

We got out and about some in February. I took David and Mary to the Cincinnati Ballet's Alice in Wonderland, and Greg took David and Mary to a big engineering expo up in Dayton. They loved both adventures. David and Mary are at a wonderful age for outings!

On the steps of the Capitol in Madison

March

In March we met with a pediatric geneticist and the head of the pediatric dermatology department at Cincinnati Children's. We feel very fortunate to have access to the amazing care available at Cincinnati Children's. Families travel from all over the world to visit this hospital. (Remember how we couldn't find a house in Dayton, so we moved to the Cincinnati area instead? If we lived in Dayton our insurance would not cover care from Cincinnati Children's. It's a miracle that we live here!) This was when Sara was officially diagnosed, though by then it wasn't a surprise. (Very low drama.)

I went to Madison for two weeks to fulfill an observation and practice teaching requirement as part of my Montessori training program. I loved the freedom (no kids!) and the opportunity to catch up with dear friends! It was an intense, exhausting, and wonderful time for me. Greg took care of the kids, and he even brought them up to Wisconsin over the weekend. David and Mary were able to hang out with old friends, and, together as a family, we visited some of our favorite Madison spots.

Kirtland, Ohio

April

We celebrated our 13th anniversary with a family trip to Kirtland, Ohio!

Sara on a train at Kings Island

May

In May my procrastination caught up with me! I am enrolled in a Montessori training program at the Montessori Institute of North Texas. I am working towards AMI Primary level (ages 3-6) certification. AMI (Association Montessori International) certification is the gold standard of Montessori training. The best of the best. It's highly respected and recognized throughout the world--and it never expires! It's also really, really, really hard!

I'm enrolled in a summer program. The training is three summers in Dallas, in addition to webinars, readings, and papers during the school year. Plus, there are a total seven weeks of observation and practice teaching that have to happen during the school year at AMI-certified schools. It has been a huge pain in the rear and a major sacrifice for our family. But also amazing and life-changing.

My first summer session was in 2014 when Greg was deployed. By May 2015 I was preparing to return to Dallas for the second session. We had a list of projects due the first day of class, and I hadn't quite gotten to them yet! So, yes, May was busy with the usual spring activities, and on top of that I was rushing to finish everything by the deadline!

May is also when we broke in our Kings Island season passes. We live around the corner from Kings Island. It's a three-minute drive. The kids drive by on their way to and from school each day. We even live in the Kings school district! So, whether you like it or not, Kings Island is an integral part of life here. Everyone has passes, and you always see friends and neighbors there. It wouldn't be at the top of my list of favorite things to do, but living so close has made it a lot of fun. We can run over for a couple hours anytime! We have a lot of happy memories there!

Even though David's birthday isn't until June, he and his best friend Bailey celebrated their birthdays at a Star Wars night Reds game!

Happy birthday, David!

June

David turned 10! Double digits! Can you believe it? He is maturing into such a nice young man. (I know that phrase "nice young man" is cliche, but it's a great way to describe him!)

Mary shone in her recital, and Sara continued to be super cute.

I drove to Texas, and Greg stayed in Ohio with the kids. David and Mary went to swim lessons every day at our neighborhood pool. (It was great--they could simply ride their bikes there.) They also went to tennis camp and really enjoyed it. And Mary loved dance camp, of course!

My parents flew out to watch the kids for one of the weeks. And I was able to fly home one weekend to see my babies. (I missed them so much!)

The kids with Grandma Evie and Grandpa Mike on their last night in Flower Mound

July

Greg drove the kids down to McKinney, where I was staying, over the 4th of July. (He rejoined us at the end of July.) So David, Mary, and Sara were able to spend the month of July in Texas at Grammy's house. They had a heavenly summer of swimming in the pool, eating Bahama Buck's, and playing with cousins. I was drowning in school work, but my kids were having a wonderful time! (And I am so deeply grateful to my mother-in-law for taking care of my kids. I hope they all look back fondly on their time together.)

My parents were in the process of selling their house in Flower Mound and moving to Park City. But we were still able to share some happy times with them. (My dad even took David to a Lamborghini dealership!) We all drove down to have dinner at Cristina's and say good-bye to the house on their last night in Flower Mound.

Indianapolis Temple

August

On the first day of August we headed back up to Ohio. We stopped in Kentucky on the way home. We visited the Corvette Museum and Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. One night in Kentucky is about the closest we got to a family vacation in 2015! (That's pretty pathetic.) But we had a good time when we got back home: the neighborhood pool, friends, bike rides, more Kings Island, Cub Scout day camp. We also drove to Indianapolis for the temple open house!

We said good-bye to Uncle Chris and Aunt Leslie in August. They moved to Austin. We miss them and their kids, Eliza, Luke, and Evan! But we feel very grateful to have had the time together, and we are happy for the new exciting things in their life.

David started 4th grade, so he rules the school. He is also participating in the 4th Grade Chorus. Mary is in 3rd grade, and we're so happy that she has the same teachers that David had. They are both doing really well in school.

Sara also started school in August! She began attending a lovely little Jewish Montessori school near our home. She is in their toddler program, and she attends every day. It's wonderful. She is very happy there. Her teachers adore her. She has had the freedom to develop and learn to recognize her needs. She loves making challah every Friday, and we all like learning more about Judaism.

Greg at the beginning of one of his relay legs

September

I turned 38. To celebrate, Greg spent the day running on a relay team from Dayton to Cincinnati.

My beautiful Mary on her baptism day

October

Mary turned 8! She had a pajama party with her friends. And on the day of her birthday she was baptized and confirmed! Grammy, Grandpa Hammond, Grandma Evie, Grandpa Mike, and Aunt Janell all came from afar to celebrate the happy occasion! Aunt Brittany, Uncle Daniel, and little Nathan were there too. It was a very special time.

I went to Wisconsin at the end of October for a week of observation in a Montessori school.  (I loved the chance to catch up with dear friends again!) Greg experienced first-hand how crazy busy life can get. But I was back in time for Halloween. The morning of we attended the Cincinnati Symphony's pops concert. (It doesn't get much more awesome than Darth Vader conducting "The Imperial March" with a light saber!) And that evening our kids turned into Wilbur Wright, an vampire bride, and a polar bear.

Also, Sara got her first tooth!!! The biggest surprise of the year!

Greg and Sara on Veteran's Day

November

David started basketball and is working on his black belt. Mary had hours of rehearsals. She also spent a lot of time dancing with Sara at home. I spent a week practice teaching in Wisconsin. (I have to pause and say how immensely grateful I am to the friends who hosted me. And to Anna. Mary's former teacher, and everyone at MCMS who welcomed me with open arms. It was a great experience.) While I was gone, Greg again took great care of the kids. When I was home, I was busy volunteering at Sara's school and keeping up on my coursework.

We were so happy to see Chris and Leslie and family at Thanksgiving. They were visiting from Austin.

We also potty-trained Sara over Thanksgiving!

Merry Christmas!

December

We found out that Greg was chosen to be a squadron commander! We will be moving to Edwards AFB in California. No details yet. We are excited and sad and happy and worried all at once. But most of all we feel peaceful about it.

We enjoyed a wonderful holiday season this year...from Thanksgiving to Chanukah to Christmastime to Greg's birthday. (He's 38 too now.) I have been overwhelmed with love and gratitude for my family. 2015 was not easy. But I got to spend it with the people I love the most. And we made lots of happy memories together. Our bonds have been strengthened, and that is a strength we will rely on as we move onto whatever adventures may come.