Merry Christmas, Everyone!

This has taken me a while to get our Christmas newsletter cranked out. Oops! Things are rather crazy around here right now. Which bring up the other news that Michael and I (and Bruce and Zoë) have: we bought a house!

So, life’s turned upside-down a bit with all of our frantic packing … and that is the best excuse I have for why I’m so belated in sending this newsletter out. *grins* … Well, that and trying to tend to two energetic nearly-one-year-olds.

Michael’s enjoying life working as an Engineer-in-Training in Eugene. He’s learning lots, since he’s been “thrown to the wolves,” as he says. He’s in control of his own projects, such as a four-story health-care center and two metal-framed buildings that he’s designed and done the site work on. As you can tell, it’s quite a bit of responsibility … but he’s having a great time preparing to become a professional engineer. (The only downside is the long commute, but the move will help with that. And we’re both looking forward to spending a bit more time together as a family. When the kiddos start talking, we’re sure that they’ll agree, since they LOVE any Daddy-time they can get.)

If all Bruce wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth, he’s gotten it! They broke through last week. He still hasn’t caught up to Zoë’s six teeth yet, but he’s working on it! He adores music, to the point of when we visit Michael’s folks he will bee-line for Grandpa’s guitar. No hugs for anyone … until AFTER he’s gotten to strum those strings! He’s such a happy little boy, flashing his infectious smile for the world to see. He’s a terrible flirt, as well. He enjoys having women fawn over him … and who would blame him?
All the girls in Sunday School enjoy passing around Bruce, since he’s such a good cuddler. The Santa at Storybook Land even remarked that he doesn’t bounce around while sitting on one’s lap.

Zoë, also, is quite the flirt. She’s developed a crush on one of the ten-year-olds we teach in Sunday School. I have to brace myself to brake up this budding romance. Will she ever find it in her heart to forgive me?
She has, as Michael tactfully puts it, a domineering spirit. She idolizes older children … with the exception of her brother. From whom she will shamelessly steal toys. And push him out of the way. Or tackle him (which usually ends up in a giggling pile of twindom, since he takes most things pretty well … except the stealing of toys).
She really just loves to have fun. And she doesn’t want ANTYHING to get in the way of her search for fun. Also, she enjoys navel-gazing since she discovered her bellybutton two weeks ago. If she’s in the mood, she’ll humor you when asked “Zoë! Where’s your bellybutton??” by trying to peer through her shirt (with her marvelous X-ray vision) to see it, since she knows that it’s there.

As for me, life is a little hectic (with the packing and the mommy-ing and the desire to bake a bazillion Christmas cookies … but the moment I step over the gate, into the kitchen, I’m met with weeping and wailing and gnashing … okay, GRINDING, of teeth). Hectic, but good. Since Bruce and Zoë have done so well at taking naps, I’ve gotten my schedule down: morning naptime is when I get a shower – unless I had extreme amounts of luck and took one before they wake up – and check my email (at least the FIRST TIME I check email) and clean up a little. Then we play around and during their afternoon nap, I pick up the house a little more and have some time to read or chat on the phone or something. So far, this schedule is working well.

Neither Michael nor I can believe how fast this year has flown. It seems impossible that Bruce and Zoë are already eleven months old … and that we now have less than a month until their birthday! I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mom to one-year-olds! I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but our babies are growing up so dang fast! I just know that one of these days, I’ll turn around and they’ll be 17 and too busy (or too cool) to cuddle with Michael and me. Only too soon, they won’t appreciate a tickle-fest or lots of kisses on their cheeks … and I’m stopping this topic before I get depressed.

But, yes, all things considered, this year has been rather jam-packed and busy! But the good kind of busy. We’ve had a mostly healthy, happy, and exciting year. We wish the same (along with our wishes for a safe and happy holiday) to you and your families!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s!
Michael, Allanna, Bruce and Zoë
(cross-posted on MySpace)

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My mood right now is:

Ramblings and stuff ... and a bit of rantings. Just for good measure. - 2007-01-23
Brought to you by Allanna's whacked-out subconcious!! - 2007-01-23
Early wake-up, trepidation, and family visits - 2007-01-18
Mir thinks I'm pretty! - 2007-01-17
LlannaLee acting badly, milk, and future sports stars - 2007-01-15

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