2015 year in review

Here are a few of the highlights from 2015:

• The tooth fairy came to visit 6 times; Reggie tops the pack with 3 lost teeth this year.
• Kids activities included swimming (Lydia and Brett), gymnastics (Reggie and Lydia), t-ball (Reggie and Lydia), baseball (Brett), and sports club (Brett).
• We transitioned from preschool to all kids in elementary school.
• I completed my continuing education to renew my school counseling licensed in the spring and doubled my contract in the fall (to 2 days a week).
• Bryan went on at least 8 business trips.  That's how many made the calendar.  It seems like more than that! A couple years ago his position at his company changed from "east coast" to "west coast", so now he always travels to California.
• Bryan has served on the MICAH Fund (adoption grants) committee for 7(?) years. The MICAH fund committee recently decided to end it's ministry.
• Bryan returned to an old hobby: ice fishing. In addition, he continued to enjoy golfing, concerts,and his Packer's season tickets.
• I joined a ladies Bible study group - from a different church!  After volunteering in our children's ministry as a "special needs buddy" for the last few years, I agreed to fill a leadership position with the Kindergarten class, and started in December. 
• The kids and I still prepare and serve a meal once a month at the children's after-school program in St. Paul. 
• Lydia loves to read!  It is only appropriate that she has won tickets through the library summer reading program for 3 years in a row! (twice Twin's tickets, this year, state fair tickets)
• Brett loves to create!  He writes a letter to his teacher almost every day.
• Reggie is in the 99.9th percentile for height and has passed Brett up at the same age.
• Bryan and I went to a game at Wrigley Field to celebrate our 12th anniversary.
• We had zero ER visits or hospital stays, but had our share of medical expenses from two pairs of glasses for Brett to ringworm to scary-looking bug bites, a cyst and scar tissue removal, and physical therapy.  All that aside, we are in good health!
• I gardened 11 out of 12 months in 2015!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Magical Christmas

Today, we made our annual visit to Macy's Santaland.  While we were there, we came across a fountain and the kids wanted to make a wish.  I had four pennies, so I did too, in the spirit of Christmas.  I wished that my kids would have a magical Christmas.  I know our Christmases of belief in Santa will soon come to an end.  But today's events reminded me that Christmas doesn't need Santa to be magical. Here's the story:

The kids have been wanting to ride the train from St. Paul to Minneapolis.  We rarely go to Minneapolis, and in reality it's a pretty big logistical nightmare to get anywhere using public transportation from our home.  But we had the whole day open, so this was a good opportunity.

Let me just insert here that I've taken the buses but never the train on my own and I haven't taken more than one kid with me, so I was a little nervous about corralling them while making sure I didn't get on the wrong bus or on the train going to wrong direction.  The whole idea of Reggie being around train tracks in general is pretty anxiety-producing.  And, this kind of stuff doesn't usually get to me, but there has been a lot of racial unrest in Minneapolis the last few weeks, and the recent acts of terror also crossed my mind.  But I refuse to allow these things to take us captive, so I studied the routes the night before, and had a plan A, B, and C.

We had to drive to a transit station.  From there, we took a bus, and then we finally got on the train.  Being a Friday, my kids were the only kids on the train, and they were not exactly sitting still and being quiet.  Out of the blue, a young man walked back to me and asked, "Are you these three kids' guardian?" and then asked if he could show them a magic trick.  He showed them an empty box, and then he made three half-dollars appear, and gave one to each kid, then returned to his seat.

We arrived at Macy's without mishap, had lunch, went through the display, and wrote the ever-important letters to Santa.  For the kids, this is the critical part of the day, and they have put much thought into what they will say.

The day is not complete without a stop at Mrs. Claus' Bakery (I wonder how many times a day they clean that glass.)

 



We had some time to kill, so we meandered back to the train.  I have to be honest.  I barely noticed the homeless lady sitting on a bench holding a sign, and would have probably walked passed.  We had walked by others already.  But I had a little one tugging at my coat.  "Mom, what does that sign say?"  I read the sign aloud and saw a box of pennies by her feet.  We stopped and I reached into my backpack for my wallet.  "Why are you giving her money, Mom?"  I fumbled for the right words, knowing she had heard. "Because she needs help." She managed a smile.  I resisted the urge to drop the dollar in the penny box and handed it to her and told her Merry Christmas.  She thanked us and we continued walking.  I was already considering the best way to approach the busy intersection ahead when Reggie slipped from my grasp and ran back.  I turned to yell at him just in time to see him drop his half dollar into the lady's penny box.  The lady and I exchanged a smile as he ran back to me.

Back on the train, heading the right direction, I reflected on the Christmas magic we had experienced.  A stranger reached out to my kids in kindness and gave them a gift.  My kids woke me up to my surroundings and an opportunity to be kind to a stranger.  And Reggie learned it truly is better to give than to receive. 

Brett is 8!

Brett is 8 years old!  Bryan had to go out of town on his birthday, but not before he made Brett whatever he wanted for breakfast.  He chose pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs with ham.

We ate at Popeye's for dinner.  Brett loves Popeye's because we order TWO sides - mashed potatoes and mac'n'cheese.  And he asked for a "WWE" cheesecake!

Brett's fish (last winter).

 Brett is having a good second grade year.  He loves his teacher! He has also been taking swimming lessons. 



Brett at 7 months, an appropriate picture since Brett Favre's number was just retired.

Lydia is 7!

I can't believe our little girl is seven!  Lydia couldn't decide if she wanted a rainbow or a butterfly birthday, so she chose both.  She is all about rainbows and butterflies, too!

 

 And snails and worms.

She loves to wear her hair in pigtails and has lost two teeth.  When it comes to school, she's a rock star.  She is my deep thinker, always asking hard questions, like, "Why did God kill Pharaoh's first-born son?" and "Why do I sometimes want to make wrong choices?"

Lydia and I had a "first" together when we went to see a Broadway play - The Little Mermaid - in October.  (In addition to rainbows and butterflies, Lydia likes all things mermaids.) What a fun girls night!

(Don't look at our messy counters.)

Lydia, 6 months