When you realize you are terrible at doing something as traditional and conventional as sending Christmas cards, you either become a person who doesn’t send Christmas cards or, if you’re like me, you come up with what you think is a brilliant, but lazy work-around. A long, long time ago in my less responsible years, I viewed the sending and receiving of Seasons Greetings as a mark of maturity. This view was not without precedent. Both sides of my family took part in the ritual exchange of cards. The great aunts with their spidery, shaky cursive signatures; the grandparents (senders of the most valuable cards, so valued due to the cash that resided within); cousin Yvonne, Aunt Pete, Sis & Jim, Uncle Joe, Uncle Pat, Aunt Inez, etc. etc. When I got out of college, some friends who had been unrepentant hedonists morphed into upstanding citizens almost overnight. The cards were a sign of their grown-up-ness. These were my (mostly married) friends who sent photo cards, the reformed party girls who now replaced passing out in the coatroom with the sending of the annual photocopied “Year in Review.”
The “Year in Review” was a particularly tricky document. Done properly it could be a cheeky, frisky paean to the year we were about to abandon to Father Time, but nine times out of ten people did not do it properly. The spirited, intelligent version was a bit of a unicorn. More often these “Ambersons in 2002” missives, these “Playing with the Paulsons” printouts detailed the minutia and tedium of life with little people in dizzying detail. I Evelyn Wooded my way through several of these babies every year.
I did envy my friends for taking the plunge and becoming grown-ups while I was still struggling to take care of myself. It says a lot about my mentality that I equated holiday cards with adulthood, but there you have it. I spent a few years attempting to be one of these card-sending folk, but always fell far short. My rock bottom was the year I handwrote a note of apology for being so late, sheepishly popping the cards in the mail on January 28th. You read that right. With that, I realized I was fated to never quite hit the mark on Christmas and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Send New Year’s cards instead! And just like that, a new tradition was born. People enjoy receiving a card a week or two after all the Christmas hoopla has ended, and I enjoy not rushing to mail them out. This year, we kept on and carried on. I didn’t send a “Yearly Review” but I kind of wish that I had. I’m not so much a yearly review kind of girl, but if I was…it might look something like this.
January Mom (that’s me) waddled her way though the month, everyone getting very excited to meet the new little peanut. We are nowhere near as prepared for her arrival as we were for Townes’, but we’re pretty sure with one baby moving easily on to toddlerhood that we got this.
February Townes turned one! We had a breakfast celebration with all his friends and a whole mess of pancakes.
March Daisy Jean made her debut. Not only did mom’s obstetrician not make the event, but daddy and nurse pretty much took care of the delivery on their own. Some hapless med students showed up at the last minute to keystone cops it. Mom was not amused.
April Adjusting to life with two babies-Townes adjusting beautifully, mom and dad doing almost as well. Townes experienced his first bouncy tent at Zoe’s birthday party.
May Trip to Phoenix to visit lots of family: Jennifer, Papa and Meema, Aunt Erin, Uncle Steve and the cousins.
June Townes started swimming lessons at the Hollywood YMCA with daddy. The lessons received a lukewarm reception from Townes initially, but he soon took to it…wait for it…well, swimmingly.
July Daddy went camping with Uncle Shane for his birthday. Mom stayed home with kiddos and papa and meema. Daddy had a fun time but it was really hard for him to leave the family.
August Los Angeles hit with a brutal heatwave. We spent a lot of time in the backyard playing in the sprinkler. Sharlie’s wedding (‘twas lovely), visited Bolivar and Damas, Nathanael, Oo-ee, Sal, Kaya and lots of other family. Labor Day picnic and hiking at Letchworth. Enlisted Aunt Kayla in an overnight babysitting gig. Townes having extreme sleep disturbances made it tricky for Gradma and Kayla, but they were troopers and he only vomited once (don’t ask).
September Mabern’s housewarming (the house party to end all house parties with live streaming seen round the world). The Marvins were early arrivals and early departers. Had to get the babies home. Townes got his BIG BED which he immediately adored and immediately started sleeping SO MUCH BETTER. Mom and dad thrilled (to say the least).
October We had an “Up” Halloween theme with somewhat complicated and un-baby-friendly costumes. Adorable for photos, not so fun for kiddos. Mom and dad learned hard lesson and Halloween will be a much more low-tech affair next year. Townes obsessed with all things “truck.” His favorite toys are the “Exabater, the odor and the dump.” (Or excavator, loader and dumptruck, respectively.)
November Daddy starting to spend a whole lot of time at the “sand,” Townes’ name for the playground. Not too much interaction yet with other kids and T still not that keen on going down the slide. Daisy and Townes love the swings, though Daisy might be a tad more adventurous. Not too much else to report. Matty and Miranda came over to make us dinner, shared exciting news about their growing family. Townes is more of a little man now. Talking up a storm. Daisy coming into her own. Thanksgiving was a bit of a bust, with daddy ending up sick with the stomach flu before we could even carve the turkey, so Shane stepped in to save the day. One youtube video on how to carve a bird under his belt, and we were on our way!
December Daisy got two teeth! All the better to eat everything in sight with. Daisy can now say mama, dada, toe-toe (turtle) and pretty much anything else she wants to say. She is our little Myna bird mimic. Big Christmas celebration with lots of fun toys to open. Papa and Meema joined us for Christmas, Laura, Mia, Gina and Corey came for Christmas dinner. Too many generous friends shared gifts for Daisy and Townes. Lots of friends found out they are having babies! Will be exciting to have playmates for T. Mom and dad popped a bottle of champagne at midnight while the babies slept through the New Year fireworks on Dec 31. Can’t wait to see what 2013 will bring.
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