Holiday Fun In Utah

Say "Cheese" Harry!

Annie and Jackie on Christmas Eve:

Again, jumping on furniture with Cousin Baylee (don't tell Nana):

Bedtime Stories on Christmas Eve:

Time to Dance to Jingle Bells:

(even Ma B has rhythm)

Look! Matching PJs:

Christmas Morning with some new toys!

Giving some hugs

Christmas dinner with Omi and Opi:

Howie and mini-Howie:

Playing together in their overalls

Pre-Christmas Fun

Jumping in the "Fort" together -- I remember when my furniture was for sitting on.

Getting ready to ski!!!

Bond, James Bond.

Can you say Elton John!

Annie taking a "rest" after organizing her guys

Annie the snow man

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.

We've had snow on the ground for almost a week now, which is impressive for Boise. We bundled up both kids to go out and play on Sunday. Annie had fun sledding and eating the snow. Harry on the other hand started crying the moment we started putting his snow bibs on, refused to wear gloves, and was generally unhappy about the entire process until Grady relented and took him back in the house. After about a half-hour, Annie started asking me, "what's something hot we could drink mommy?" I knew she was fishing for "hot cocoa cocoa" as the answer, but she seemed compliant with warm soy milk. Harry whose a non-stop chatter box, repeating almost every word we say, has also started saying "no." Prior to this he just shook his head to indicate no, but now the way he pronounces his "no" is indescribable. It sounds like a cat in heat with a Fran Dresher like accent ("Nooooooo")-- if he weren't so cute it would drive me crazy. Bonnie built a "frosty" with Annie this week and also took the kids to sit on Santa's lap. Harry screamed the instant he sat upon Santa's lap and Bonnie didn't have the heart to listen to him while they took a photo so we just have one photo with Annie and Santa. Annie told Santa she wanted a car's car and that Harry wanted the moon. Santa might struggle with both those requests.

Having Fun with Deucey

Before the snow started flying down around here we hung out with the Dangs on a nice sunny December Saturday. Here's some photos of the kids playing. Both Annie and Harry adore Deuce, who is smack in the middle of them age wise, and have fondly nick-named him, "Duecey."

Bye, Bye Mullet

We decided it was finally time to cut off Harry's mullet, although it was quite hilarious so we took both kids in for a chop. Annie sat still while she sucked (or chomped) on her sucker. Harry did NOT sit still, cried and the poor stylist chopeed her hand. But, she was able to get rid of the mullet to which Annie declared, "Bye, Bye Mullet." He looks a lot more grown up with his little boy hair cut.

Four years ago . . .

It was a little over four years ago I hopped on a plane to Colorado full of hope and excitement and ready to spend 3 days campaigning for John Kerry in the neighborhoods of Denver. I knocked on a lot of doors, handed out fliers, made phone calls, and helped register people to vote. The whole time I was sick to my stomach -- I thought from the nerves of trying to get Kerry into the white house. Turns out, my queezy stomach was morning sickness. On election night four years ago Grady and I sat on the couch in our basement in shock -- we were pregnant and Bush was about to get re-elected. We considered moving to Canada but with a new baby on the way, we felt compelled to stay put, close to family. Both Grady and I tried not to get our hopes up this time after being terribly disappointed in 2000 and 2004. But in 2008 I am happy to announce that my faith in this country and its people has been renewed. We are so proud and grateful that the first president elected after our kids were born is Barak Obama. He is smart, he is inspiring, he is committed to getting our country back on track, and, perhaps most significant for me, he is black. Seeing the type of discrimination that is still very real and very much alive today through the eyes of my clients made me skeptical that our country could do this - that we could elect a black man. The fact that younger voters exceeded expectations of voter turn out and overwhelmingly supported Obama gives me great hope that our country will continue to move in the right direction, away from prejudice. By the time Annie and Harry are able to vote, I hope it seems a uneventful fact that that a long time ago, in 2008, the country made history by electing a person of color. That, as grown ups, my kids won't think twice about putting a black man (and hopefully a woman at some point soon) into the highest executive office in our country will be a true sign of progress.

Harrison

Harry is now talking non-stop saying new words every day - he calls Annie "NNNNA" and Bonnie "Baba" but the rest of his words are pretty right on and include: Banana, Ball, Apple, Ice, Water, Elmo, Hi/Bye Bye, Night-night, and Moon. He also does a very good (and loud) MOOOOOO! every time he sees (or thinks of) a cow. He is showing some attitude these days - getting quite upset when he doesn't get his way and he's getting pretty fast on those feet.
Annie is doing an excellent job being a big sister - she loves to remind Harry that he's too little to have candy, maple syrup, or chocolate chips. Luckily, he doesn't seem to mind too much. She also makes sure he doesn't play with any "dangerous" toys, i.e., those that she wants to play with. The other day she took away the snake he was playing with, he screamed, she handed him a tupperware bowl and said, "here Harry, you can pretend this is a snake." He was actually happy that she gave something to him. Annie still has lots of "privacy" in her room which sometimes is unbearable for Harry who stands at her bedroom pounding on the door. Annie is so excited that Harry is talking now - every time he says a new word she yells, "he can talk now!" I'm sure soon she'll be yelling, "be quiet Harry!"