As was my wish, we are ending 2015 the way we started it: healthy, happy and together. Although, in the interest of full disclosure Anna was diagnosed with another case of strep this morning. But, that is not the kind of "sick" that I worry about. It has been a challenging year in many ways. We lost Thomas' mother to lung cancer in February. She was only 64 and made a valiant effort, but unfortunately, the cancer won. On a much more minor scale relating to challenges, we had a fair amount of behavioral issues, which I will describe more specifically when I write about each child.
We had another year with no big family vacation, although Thomas and I were fortunate to take our solo cruise trip. I sure wish there was another of those on the horizon! We did have a fun time visiting Fort Necessity and staying at Jellystone; we also did a weekend trip to Williamsburg (with uncooperative weather) and a night in Richmond. Probably our fondest family memory is all the time spent at Kings Dominion. Thanks to our annual passes, complete with the food plan, we were able to go countless times with little thought or planning. I think of 2015 as the Summer of Kings Dominion. Although, we have decided to take a break in 2016 and instead plan a trip to Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland.
We had fewer visitors this year. Marta and Elizabeth came over Spring Break and Debby stayed with us while visiting Jennifer. We are hoping to see more of our family this year. My brother (Jim) is moving just 90 minutes away, so I am sure we will see more of him and his family. It will be nice to have someone (comparatively speaking) close by. It is funny to think about the things we contemplated in 2015, from Thomas coming thisclose to a job in Orlando and my application to join the work force, 2015 certainly could have been a much more eventful year.
And now, all about the individuals:
Jack was the cause of some consternation in our house this year. In particular, he struggled with keeping his hands to himself--i.e. hitting, pushing, shoving, etc. This resulted in phone calls with his teacher and conversations with the moms of his neighborhood friends (never fun!). But, after a one-month ban from playing with anyone, we feel as though his behavior is on the upswing. He is such a sweet, sensitive child that I honestly can't understand his struggle with self-control. But, it is definitely something he battles. On the positive side, he is doing extremely well academically. He is smart and consistently brings home perfect papers and tests from school. He is still very interested in history, particularly anything relating to our Founding Fathers, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. He loves Star Wars and has seen The Force Awakens twice. Once, he went with his friend Harrison, which was his first solo outing with a friend. They also went to Panera and played at Harrison's house, making it a full day. He enjoys being outside and played a season of soccer. He is a voracious reader who reads several chapter books a week (sometimes one a night). He loves both nonfiction and fiction, particularly Diary of a Wimpy Kid and anything relating to Star Wars. He loves playing the Wii and with his Army Men. When he grows up, he wants to be a Naval Officer and his favorite t.v. show is Star Wars Rebels. My three words for Jack are: smart, kind and loving. Thomas's words for Jack are: bookworm, know-it-all and energetic.
Luke had a good year. It has been fun watching him grow and learn. He is a wonderful toddler and a joy in our family. He is the only person in our house that everyone always likes. Recently one of the girls got mad and went upstairs crying about how she hates everyone...except Luke. I loved the qualifier. He is interested in everything and does not want to be left out. He will attempt to do whatever the older kids are doing. He loves to help around the house and is quick to grab the dustpan or help switch out laundry. He is talking a lot more, but is not always very clear. For example, apples mean all fruit and if he says apple, but really wants an orange, he can get quite upset. He still adores his older siblings and will follow them anywhere. He is very friendly and has an easy-going disposition. He loves balls, particularly playing catch. Luke also like jumping off things. Fortunately, he generally lands on his feet. We think he is pretty coordinated for his age. Overall, I would say he has been the easiest baby of our 4 children (or, perhaps I've just become more mellow). My three words for Luke are: friendly, curious, and loud. Thomas chose: lovable, athletic, and cute.
Anna has had an okay year. She was really wonderful all summer, but has struggled with her behavior since school started. Fortunately, most of her issues are at home. This is the first year she has really enjoyed school. We owe that to her having a very calm, loving teacher. At home, she has continued to struggle with staying calm and speaking kindly. She readily admits that she is contrary and sometimes just likes to argue. Her latest thing is to tell us that we can't prove anything, we aren't in her head, so we can't really know. It's an interesting argument, but generally fails when we have directly observed her doing whatever she is trying to tell us she is not guilty of. She has had some unfortunate luck with her two best friends moving away, which obviously has been very difficult for her. I remember a poem my parents use to say described me that went: "there was a girl who had a curl, right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good. But, when she was bad, she was horrid!" I feel that perfectly describes Anna, she can be incredibly angelic and well-behaved. When she is good, she is amazingly good, but when she is bad, everyone look out! She is still very sweet and loves to be helpful. We are happy that she is doing well in school. She is very bright and has come a long way in the past year. When she grows up she wants to be a teacher and her favorite show is Paw Patrol. I am anxious to see what 2016 will bring for her. My three words are: sweet, strong-willed and spirited. Thomas said: inquisitive, tenacious and talented.
Last, but never least is Kara. Kara has probably undergone the fewest changes from last year. She still loves school and learning and is anxious to be a more fluent reader (she is almost there!). She is taking gymnastics at a local dance studio (more of the floor stuff like cartwheels, backbends and splits) and played two seasons of t-ball. Kara enjoys imaginary play, especially with her Littlest Pet Shop. She also loves board games and is very lucky at them. She rarely loses, which can make it harder for her when she does. Like her siblings, she is smart and does well academically. Kara's biggest school strength is that she really, really enjoys school. She genuinely loves learning and is always happy to do homework. I know she is only in first grade, but I am praying that this continues--at least for a while! Of course, she is not without her faults, she still loses her temper fairly easily (and unpredictably) and very loudly. When she grows up she wants to be a doctor and her favorite show is iCarly. I would describe Kara as: persistent, fun and loving. Thomas chose sweet, temperamental, and considerate.
For myself, I would say this year has been a mix of sweet and sour. I have enjoyed Luke more and no longer have any resentment at starting over. He is at a really fun age and I love being his mom. I have a lot of great memories from 2015, particularly the cruise. Another highlight of my year was writing our Anniversary blog. It was really fun scouring my mind for favorite memories and then reading the ones Thomas chose. I am extremely grateful that my family is all healthy and we are together with no separations planned in our future. On the flipside, I have spent a lot of time feeling frustrated at my inadequacies and really hope I can do something about it in 2016. I feel like I spend a lot of time complaining (hopefully more inwardly than vocally) about my weight and my messy house. I feel like my unhappiness with myself has affected my ability to be a good wife and mother. I feel sick when I think about the number I see on the scale. I want to live a long time and be healthy and active, yet I feel almost powerless in my struggles. I think to myself that this year will be different, but then I tell myself that logically, I know it really won't. Hmmm, I should probably start with the negative, so that I can end on the positive. I just know that I don't want my children to have my struggles and I want to be careful not to inflict my issues on them. And, despite my complaints, I am so thankful for this life I have!
Thomas had a good year. He promoted at work and received stellar evaluations. He coached t-ball and soccer and shared all parental responsibilities with me. In fact, he changed his work schedule so that he is home only 30 minutes after the kids get off the bus, even though that means getting to work while the rest of us are still sleeping. He is not cooperating with my efforts to write about him, so I will just say that his favorite t.v. show is Turn and he wants to be a Jedi when he grows up.
