Lukey is Five!

On March 17, Luke turned 5! As I know I've written, our plan was to spend two nights at Kalahari to celebrate both his and Kara's birthday. However, with the move to Florida, everything is up in the air. Kara has said that as long as we go to a waterpark at some point, she will be happy. Luke hasn't mentioned it much, but we have definitely not forgotten that we owe him an experience.

Unfortunately, Thomas and I had to leave for Florida on the morning of his actual birthday. I felt pretty guilty/sad that we weren't going to be there to celebrate the whole day with him. But, we tried to make it special. We told him he was going to have four days of fun. The first came on Friday when they had a St. Patrick's Day party at school. Saturday, we made his requested cake, which was a "sparkly baseball." Sunday, his actual birthday, Summer made him cupcakes and got his requested dinner of Little Caesars pizza and noodles (Pasta Roni Fettucine Alfredo is his favorite) and then on Monday, he had his party at school. So, he did not feel deprived.

It is also funny to think that Luke is the same age Kara was when he was born. We are finally back where we started! I remember thinking how crazy it was to be having another child when we were finally getting to the point of having all three in school. Kara was just months away from starting kindergarten. Now, she is in fourth grade and Luke is just months away from starting.

Now, all about Luke! He is still very sweet and cuddly. He loves to sit with me or Thomas and be close to us. He also LOVES balls. That has not waned a bit. He would rather be playing catch or baseball than doing anything else. It has been super wet this year and we haven't been able to play outside in the yard as much as he would like, which is a consistent source of frustration. He starts t-ball on Monday, so hopefully that will satisfy him, but likely, it will just remind him to keep asking us to go outside and play baseball. I am excited to see if he enjoys it as much as we think he will.

Luke is also very smart. He seems to really enjoy math and numbers. We found some old workbooks and he likes to do "homework". He is able to see patterns with numbers and can do basic addition facts easily. The workbook he is currently using is a 1st grade one, so we know he will be well-prepared for Kindergarten. He can also sound out simple words, but isn't as concerned about learning to read, which is fine. We have seen with our older kids that they all get to the same place, the pace and interest just varies. I remember Jack being a fluent reader in Kindergarten and Anna being so upset that she wasn't getting it. It was second grade before she reached the point that Jack was at in Kindergarten, however, now they score within a few points of each other on the standardized language tests and she is in the gifted program for English. So, I know not to worry or to try and push (not that I would be worried at this point anyway--he hasn't even started Kindergarten!). Regardless, we think he is very smart and he is definitely interested in learning. I am sure it helps that he has the advantage of having three older siblings to emulate.

Our "gift" for Luke was to get the old dune buggy up and running. He seemed happy with that. We are holding firm to not bringing any additional stuff into the house.

Possessions & Another DC Trip

This move has led to us doing some serious decluttering. For the past several weeks, we have spent a lot of time going through our belongings. This has led me to a couple of conclusions. First, we have way too much stuff. Second, the stuff does not bring happiness. Things that we just had to have, in reality have a very short shelf-life. It is surprisingly easy to sell and give stuff away and it is nice to look around and see fewer things. The process kind of stinks, but the end result is pretty nice. We still have a long way to go, but I am finally seeing definite progress.

But, wait! Bonus! There is a third conclusion--we are saving a lot of money. And, there is a nice freedom that comes from knowing that you are not going to buy anything that is nonessential. No "stuff" has entered our house in over a month and I LOVE IT! I haven't made a single Target run. Yes, you read that right, I haven't browsed at Target in about 6 weeks. In fact, I think I have only been to Target once. For my weekly shopping, I have been using Walmart's pick-up service and I totally love it. It is the greatest thing ever. I am not exaggerating when I say it is a game changer. I am saving so much time and money (the money is saved because I am not buying non-essentials as I browse looking for the items on my list. Plus I can easily compare items and prices on their website). Love, love, love!

So, we have been saving lots of time and lots of money and in our spare time, we are decluttering. It is a work in progress, but we're getting there and the process has been a learning experience. I am hoping I can carry this over beyond the move. I would love to reach the point where I don't buy anything I don't truly need, but I am not sure that is realistic and I am also pretty sure my family would not be on board. I have visions of experiences for gifts and no presents under the tree. But, again, likely not realistic.

In other news, Jack made the Math Team. He is very excited. Anna had quit the Math Club several weeks ago so she was out of the running. There is so much to fight about, we decided it was not worth the battle and let her make the decision. The Fourth Grade team has not been announced, but we shall see for Kara. (note, between starting and finishing my blog we learned that Kara made the team as an alternate)

We went back to DC a couple of weeks ago. We started with the Air and Space Museum and saw the IMAX movie "Carrier". It actually made me feel a little motion sick, but it was good and I am glad we saw it. The kids all really enjoyed it, Luke kept exclaiming, "this is so cool!"  From there, we went to the National Archives. It was the first time we've gone and not had to wait in any line. We were able to browse the documents and it was a pretty cool experience. We ended with the Museum of Natural History. It was a good day, the kind of day that makes me feel sad to leave it all behind.

Kara on the simulators

Obligatory photo with the Capitol in the background

And in final catch-up, we went to the annual Spring Fling at the kids' school, although this year it was held in winter and they called it Mardi Gras something or other. But, it was the same type of event we've gone to every year. We don't go to all the school functions, but I think we have made this one every year. They have games and crafts and some snack foods. There is also a silent auction. But, since we aren't bringing anything into the house, we didn't bid on anything except "Be Principal for a Day," which we lost.

Moving News

On Friday, (22 February), we got the long-awaited news--our transfer to the Orlando office was approved! Thomas and I had actually been considering withdrawing our names. The uncertainty was killing me! But, minutes after we discussed it, my boss called me into her office to tell me the move was happening. I had just told the kids to stop asking for updates. "Did you hear anything about Florida," was the first thing the girls would say every day when I walked in the door. For weeks this went on, until finally I asked them to stop. It was frustrating to wait for news. We were told on January 17, that it would take a week or two to figure out. We were told a week or two again around January 31 and then again on February 21. Since I had just told them the day before it was going to be another week or two, no one asked when I came home on the 22nd. Which was good, because I don't think I could have kept it a secret if they had asked!

But, I wanted to tell them as a family. So, we waited for Thomas to come home. Fortunately, it was a Friday, which means he came home slightly earlier than a regular day. Anna, Kara, and Luke were thrilled. They promptly started jumping around and planning out a video for their YouTube Channel. They were literally screaming in the streets. At the other end of the spectrum, Jack ran up to his room crying. I felt terrible! I moved to Florida around their age and still remember feeling so sad and upset, and those feelings lasted for years. I definitely preferred Massachusetts to Florida and now I am forcing the same move on Jack. However, the factors are significantly different. We were moving from family when I was a kid, now we are moving to family. I think that is the important distinction. Hopefully, I am setting the example for my kids that if given the chance, you live near your aging parents :)

While we knew we were going to Florida, the timeline was still up in the air. The kids (well, three of them) really wanted to move in the middle of the school year, but since school gets out in May in Orlando, that was going to be difficult. Anna wanted to try and make a few friends before middle school and I think Kara just wanted to be the new kid in the class. But, at a minimum, we felt they needed a month in the new school. So, we needed to go by the end of April to make that work. Fortunately, Thomas' boss alleviated some of the pressure by asking him to stay until mid-May. With that news, we asked to stay until school here got out. I think the timeline is approved, but we still have to meet on Monday to have a final discussion. The folks in Orlando are very short-handed and we told them we would move as soon as we could, but that was in January when we had an extra 5 weeks to plan. And, we don't think moving in May makes sense. We can't enroll the kids in school for 2 weeks. And, if we have to stay here, it makes sense to let them finish the school year in Maryland.  Hopefully, everyone understands. I think it is a good thing. It gives us time to get everything together and J & A will get to participate in their 5th grade graduation.

We met with a Realtor and will be listing the house at the end of March. In the meantime, we have lots to do. We have already donated bags of clothes, games, movies and books. We are taking it in small pieces, otherwise it is just too overwhelming.

And to give you an idea of what we are dealing with. Here is the second load of books we dropped off to the library for their annual book sale. There was one previous load and we still have at least one box still to go.

So, that's where we stand. We are moving to Florida. Hopefully in June.

Kara Enters Double Digits and Stomach Bug

Kara turned 10 on February 12th! As tradition dictates, Thomas and I joined her for lunch at her school. We offered to bring her Chick-Fil-A or bring her class cupcakes. She chose the cupcakes and enjoyed handing them out to everyone. It is always fun to see our kids interact with their friends.

Her chosen dinner was French dip sandwiches and lil smokie sausages. Very random, but pretty easy to execute, so we were able to make it happen on her actual birthday, which fell on a Tuesday.  

Delicious :)

She and Luke both chose the night away option as their birthday gift from us this year. Kara convinced Luke to choose Kalahari so that we could go for two nights (each kid gets one night). Luke's big day is March 17, so we are hoping to find two nights sometime between now and then to make it happen. We have never been, but supposedly it is a bigger, better version of Great Wolf Lodge. However, it is 5-6 hours away, so not as easy to get to. And, we didn't realize how expensive it is. A weekend night can be $1000!!!! Weekdays are much more reasonable, however, we are having a hard time finding a two-night block when we can go. Jack and Anna have math club on Mondays and Kara has math club on Wednesdays. Jack and Kara especially don't want to miss the club, because they are hoping to be selected for math team and don't want anything to hurt their chances. Then, on Thursdays, we have LEAP, which I wrote about last time. That only runs until March 7, so maybe we will be able to find time after that. We are still waiting to hear on the potential move to Orlando, so that could impact plans as well. Even when we aren't busy, our calendar seems to fill quickly!

But, back to Kara. She is fun to bake for, because she cares more about taste than looks. This year, she wanted a cookies and cream cake. It came out really good and it even looked pretty. She had a few small gifts to open and I think she had a good birthday. At least I hope she did.

Also delicious!

On Wednesday, I picked Luke up from daycare and he commented that his stomach hurt. This is not super unusual. Although, normally, he says his stomach hurts before school with the hope we'll let him stay home and watch t.v. all day. But, around 5, he threw-up. And, then he continued throwing up for about 4 hours straight! We thought we were in for a long night, but by 9 he fell asleep and stayed asleep. He woke up the next day feeling mostly fine. I was sorry he had to miss his school's Valentine's Day party. But, we had a fun day. I stayed home from work and we played lots and lots of games: War, Yahtzee, Zingo, Snoopy's Surprise Slides, and some others I can't recall. We also watched Home Alone. It was a fun day. And, he was ready to return to school on Friday. When he did, we got a note sent home saying that the daycare director had never seen an illness like this one in her 11 years there. Apparently, lots of kids were out Thursday and many more got sent home during the day. There was a reminder of the sick policy, which we always adhere to and wished others would do the same. The note gave us a clue that whatever Luke had was very contagious. 

Fortunately, everyone else seemed fine on Thursday and Friday. Which was good, because J & A had a field trip that Anna had been looking forward to for years--the 5th grade water safety field trip. Jack was far less enthusiastic and wanted to stay home with Luke and me. But, I made him go and he ended up enjoying himself. Unfortunately, Friday night, Kara woke us because she was sick. Last night (Saturday night) Jack was sick. Anna hasn't fallen yet, but we expect it is coming soon. Luckily, it is a very quick bug. And, the timing (for once) has been pretty good. Only one day of work missed and none of the big kids have missed any school. Of course, that could change. But, fingers crossed that it misses Anna and ends with Jack!

Ford's Theater and Other News

In other news, we decided to put in for the Orlando positions. I just had to try! I don't know if it is the best decision or if anything will come from it, but I can't pass up the chance to be so close to my family. We should know next week.

We finally had decent weekend weather and an open government! I recently read a book by Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress and friend. Thomas had been saying he wanted to visit Ford's Theater for awhile and after reading her book, I was excited to see if there was any mention of Ms. Keckley (there was!). We left the house around 9 on Saturday and went to Ford's theater. We enjoyed our visit. Even though we have all been before, I find that it doesn't matter how many times we do something like that--I always learn something new. They have a small museum in the Theater's basement, which is where we went first. After the museum, we headed into the theater to hear the infamous story. The lecturer was the most enthusiastic one we've had and everyone appreciated his story-telling skills.

We then went across the street to the aftermath experience. The Petersen House (where President Lincoln was taken and then died) was closed. Our favorite part of the aftermath experience is the giant stack of books. It is 34 feet tall and represents the approximately 16,000 books that have been written about Lincoln.

The sun was bright and I couldn't get a good picture.

Nobody wanted to go home, so we decided to walk to the Mall area and visit the Museum of American History. Our first stop was lunch in the cafeteria. It was about 1:30 and while we had brought a good snack right before going into Ford's Theater around 10:30, everyone was more than ready to eat. We like to eat in the Smithsonian cafeterias. They are pricey, but since museum admission is free, we don't mind; it lets us feel like we are contributing.

Everyone choose a couple of things they wanted to see. We let Luke play in the little play area and in return he promised to be patient while we saw some other stuff. He started to get a little whiny, and I reminded him about our "deal" and it bought us a little bit more time. We have finally abandoned the stroller (although, we may still break it out for excessive trips). At almost 5, it is long overdue. I am pretty sure that we had kicked the older three out of strollers around their 3rd birthdays, but it is so much easier for us to keep him confined as we drag him places he doesn't really want to be. Overall, everyone was great! We left the museum around 4 and picked up some pizza on our way home. It was a beautiful day and I was so happy to get out of the house!

Crazy eye'd Luke and crazy eye'd Cookie Monster

In other other news, today was the first day of LEAP at the kid's school. I can't remember exactly what it stands for: Learning Enrichment ? Program? (I could be wrong.) But, it runs for 5 weeks on Thursdays. Parents volunteer to run a program on something they are interested in (or think kids might be interested in). Kara has participated every year. Last year she did bracelet making, the year before was Trash to Treasure. I can't remember the others. There are usually dance and cooking options. I've never volunteered before since I either had Luke or work. But, this year with our new flexible work schedule (love, love, LOVE), I am able to leave early on Thursdays and make up the time on another day. My chosen class: The Magical World of Harry Potter! I am doing it with another parent. We worked on the play sets together a few years ago and have stayed friends. We had a ton of activities planned for the first day, but it is only an hour and with 20 kids, we didn't accomplish nearly what we expected. However, all three of my kids said they had fun, so I am calling it a success. One week down and 4 to go! With Jack and Anna going to middle school next year, I am trying to squeeze in all the fun I can.

And, two random pictures. Anna's class had a crazy hair day. We put in 9 pony tails and 9 bows.

And, that's all for now :)

January: Resolutions and Orlando

After the hustle and bustle of December, January brings a calm reprieve. We often try and go to DC in January, since it is a quiet month for tourism. Unfortunately, the government shutdown has closed most of our favorite places. No battle sites or Smithsonian museums for us this month! I just deleted a long rant about the government which I will summarize and say that I am frustrated by both our executive and legislative branches.

We have discussed our goals for the year. I am not good at tracking our progress and perhaps this year I can come up with some way to monitor. Maybe a monthly check-in? Personally, one of my favorite proverbs is, "it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." This year I have decided to take charge and hold myself responsible for my own happiness. Sometimes I feel beat down by circumstance and things beyond my control. This year, I want to react calmly, change what I can, and let the rest go.

We have taken some steps to try and make things run more smoothly on the homefront, like improved chore charts and a commitment to better enforcement. There are other things we really need to improve, especially in the way that we speak to each other. I am using the royal "we," but this is definitely more of an issue for some than others. However, learning to better react to frustrations is something we can all improve. I am worried that we (this time the royal we should really be an I) chose a parenting style that wasn't the most effective with some of our children and thus reinforced a pattern that is going to create difficulty as they get older. I am not trying to be cryptic--essentially, I was a proponent of  natural consequences, where battles are carefully chosen, and inconsequential behaviors are largely ignored. However, some of those behaviors that seemed inconsequential have become more of an issue as the kids have grown. We will see what our renewed focus on speaking kindly does to improve the situation. I know that it flows down from Thomas and me, so hopefully, we can set the example.

In other news, there was potentially an opportunity for both Thomas and I to take positions in Orlando. And, I spent a few days trying to hash out whether we should put in for the jobs. Thomas loves it in Maryland and he loves his job. In Florida, he would have to do something completely different, a job he did when he first started and hated. I also really like my job, I like the work I do and I have great coworkers. I also like our house and neighborhood. Orlando would mean a paycut and the loss of any opportunity for growth. However, it would put us at just over an hour from my family. And, the theme parks! Everyone knows how much I love Disney and Universal. Plus, it would be so nice to have so many amenities at our fingertips. I hate that we have to drive so far to get to anything fun. But, our everyday life is good. We have an easy commute and good schedules at work and everything we need for day to day living. The schools are good and since both of us moved a lot as kids, we love that our kids have been in the same place since school started. But, there could be even more opportunities in Orlando! Florida has a lot more state colleges to choose from and we would be minutes from UCF, if any of our kids wanted, they could live at home and still get a great education. But, to get a house comparable to our house in Maryland, we would have to spend considerably more. And, we would be taking a pay cut (even with the offset of no state taxes). And, there are no seasons and we'd be far from all the history everyone enjoys. But, I could see my family all the time! However, moving sucks and it would be a logistical nightmare! And if we stay here, we won't have any daycare expenses next year. Ugh, back and forth we went. Thomas told me he loves it here, but knows how much I love Florida, so he was willing to go. I felt like it was my decision, which ultimately was too much responsibility. I equated it to "Deal or No Deal". Right now, I am holding the $100,000 briefcase. The million dollar one is still on the table, but so is the $1000. Do I trade something really good for the possibility of something better, but with also the potential of disaster? As much as I want to, it just doesn't make sense. It was an emotional roller coaster and I still feel sad thinking about everything. But, ultimately, my motives to move were primarily selfish and it just wasn't worth the risk.

2018 Year in Review

I can't believe I am writing the year-in-review post already! How has another year come and gone??? 2018 was full of the things I love most--my family (immediate and extended) and travel. We had visits from my sister's family and Marta and Elizabeth and got to spend time with Jim and his family. I finally introduced the kids to Aunt Pat, my mother's sister, and showed them my childhood stomping grounds. Unfortunately, we did not see my dad or Kevin, but we will make that happen in 2019.

We took multiple trips to Williamsburg and Philadelphia, spent time in New York City, and took a big trip to New England, which I had wanted to do for years. We went on a Thanksgiving cruise and visited 3 different Six Flags. For birthdays, Jack spent a day bike riding at Valley Forge, Anna enjoyed a night at Great Wolf Lodge, Kara had a Harry Potter themed party and Luke had his first party with friends at the gymnastics center. Everyone was well-celebrated! The only thing missing was a night or two away for just Thomas and me.

Favorite 2018 moments:
Luke: Playing ping pong on the cruise
Kara: The day in Massachusetts we went to the beach and visited grandma's grave
Jack: When Great Aunt Pat gave me the huge Civil War book
Anna: Snorkeling in Nassau and trying trapeze
Kori: seeing the Red Sox at Fenway
Thomas: Biking through Valley Forge

Unlike last year, we don't have any big trips planned yet for 2019. Although, I am itching to go to Disney World (it's been almost 6 years since we last visited!). Even though I like to focus more on the good than the bad, particularly in this blog, I also try to be honest. And, to be honest, one of the kids was very difficult on the cruise. I swore that I was not going to book another big vacation until we got a handle on those challenges, which most frequently come when our routine is thrown completely out of whack. New England was overwhelmingly positive, so I am not sure what happened between August and November or why there was such a stark contrast in behavior. But, we don't want to spend the money that Disney will cost just to be disappointed and frustrated again.

However, as I mentioned, we need to visit my dad. If he is unable to come to us, we will make sure to visit him. That may mean me flying down with one or two kids for a long weekend. Or, it may mean that we all go down and spend a relaxed week in Winter Haven. We will see how things progress over the next few months. I still harbor the slight hope that we can manage to figure out how to handle the issues that resulted in the cruise misery and go to Disney.

So, what are we most looking forward to in 2019:
Luke: playing t-ball
Kara: summer break
Jack: starting middle school
Anna: fifth grade graduation
Kori: using our new flex schedule to take random days off this summer
Thomas: Hitting my 15 year mark as a government employee and getting all the extra vacation time that comes with it!

And now, the annual individual summaries!

Luke: The difference between almost 4 and almost 5 is a big one! He is starting to struggle a bit with stronger feelings. He will do something wrong or get frustrated or angry and blame his stomach. It is actually pretty interesting to watch that internal struggle. Sometimes, he will even say, "my stomach is trying to make me do something bad, but I am not listening (something bad like speaking rudely or throwing a toy--fortunately, we aren't dealing with any big behavior issues). We are working hard with him on how to appropriately deal with the big feelings that seem to come around this age. Fortunately, he is very smart and I think his general disposition is sweet and easy-going, so it isn't too much of a challenge (praying it stays that way!). When he doesn't want to do something, he will say he is "nervous." We have explained to him several times what nervous means, but he continues to use it in a funny way, like "I am too nervous to eat my broccoli".  He is very smart and social and is a favorite among both his peers and teachers at school. He is super sweet and cuddly. He gets along well with his siblings, although they don't let him get away with as much as he used to. He is always willing to share whatever he has and seems to have a special bond with Kara. Although, he will play happily with any of his siblings.  For Christmas, he got Splatoon and immediately turned to Jack and exclaimed, "look Jack, WE got Splatoon!" It was one of my favorite moments of the day and I think is a good example of his general nature. He still loves sports. Instead of asking to look at toys at the store, he still asks to go and look at the balls.  He played his first season of soccer this year and did amazing. His favorite thing is to go outside and play baseball with his dad and he has asked to play t-ball this spring. When he grows up he wants to be a policeman. My three words for Luke are: sweet, smart, and cuddly. Thomas said: athletic, sweet, and whiny.

Kara: Kara had an eventful year! She was selected for student council, morning news and as a media aid. She began her first year of band and is playing the trombone. She made straight As for all of third grade and got 5s on PARCC in both math and reading! Kara gave us the biggest scare of the year when we took her to the emergency room and learned that her awful stomachache was appendicitis. That experience is definitely not making any "best moment" list. She was doing much better with controlling her temper right up until her appendectomy. I am not sure if there is a correlation, or if it is just a coincidence in time, but there was a definite regression after that event. She is still very helpful and her overall personality is very sweet. For example, yesterday, she spent much of the day entertaining Luke while Thomas and I did projects around the house. She even made him lunch! When we leave the kids with a teenage babysitter, we always put Kara in charge of Luke *witch bothers Anna (that little parenthetical was added by Anna when I happened to leave this open on the computer :). She happily helps him with his pajamas and brushing his teeth. She and Anna have a strong love/hate relationship. They seem to either be the best of friends or bitterly fighting. She and Jack along well and rarely argue. Kara loves to read, play with Littlest Pet Shop and build Legos. She also loves board games and helping me in the kitchen. When she grows up she wants to be an author. My three words for Kara are: emotional, helpful, and strong-willed. Thomas said: smart, helpful, and caring.

Jack: Jack continues to be easy to parent. He is generally obedient and quick to offer a helping hand. He routinely does all his chores without complaint or reminders. When I drive up with groceries he is always there to help bring them in and put them away (we don't even have to ask!). He loves the Nintendo Switch and comic books and is still very interested in history. Jack is an avid reader and reads several large books each week. We can't get to the library fast enough to keep him occupied! He has an odd sleeping rhythm and has trouble falling asleep before 9:30/10pm. On the weekends, he usually makes up for it by sleeping until 9:30/10am. I am dreading the ultra-early middle school bus pick-up next year! Jack is an excellent student who picks up new material very quickly. Both he and Anna were selected for their school's 4th grade math team where they came in 4th out of 23. It was the school's best finish in years! He can be very silly and has a good sense of humor. He is very quiet until he starts talking about one of his video games or something interesting he learned. His presence is much appreciated in our house and I pray that the middle school years don't change him one bit! When he grows up he wants to be a lawyer. My words for Jack are loving, quiet, and helpful. Thomas said: Affectionate, smart, and steady

Anna: Anna has made lots of good progress this year. Like her siblings she does well in school (the first quarter all 3 had straight As!). She is very concerned about the environment and is a member of her school's environmental club. She is also a safety patrol officer and in the school's chorus. She seems to have found a strong friend group and that has made her very happy. She can lose her temper quickly, but she also recovers quickly and apologizes. She is anxious to grow-up, although she still loves to play with Littlest Pet Shop and American Girl. She has now completed a year of piano lessons. She frequently states she wants to quit, but takes it back pretty quickly. She enjoys making progress, but not  practicing, which obviously creates some struggles. Anna is very nervous about middle-school. She can have trouble finding the positives in her life, but is working on it. My three words for Anna are chatty, precocious, and inquisitive. Thomas said: Precocious, smart, and ambitious. (Note--Thomas and I do not collaborate when coming up with the three words to describe the children.)  

And that wraps up the 2018 Year in Review. As always, as long as we are all healthy and together next year, I will consider 2019 a success. We had our annual cheese fondue yesterday and discussed what we enjoyed in 2018 and what we hope to work on in 2019. Cheers to 2018!