Adamant Eve

Is it me or did this year fly by in the wink of an eye? It seems like yesterday was but a day ago, but so does the day that followed this day. The truth of the matter is that the steady drumbeat of time is unforgiving. Its metronomic march may have trampled our rose beds, but at least we stopped long enough at various times to catch of whiff of their sweet scent. And hey, we’re thankful that so many things came up roses for us this year (the bouquet: rose, rose, rose, rose, rose, rose, rose, rose, rose), in light of the distinct challenges and hardships faced by many in 2009. On this day, we celebrate the year that was and share hope in new beginnings, all starting with the Noon Year’s Eve party at our children’s museum.

Family, Phew!

G and Reed

Members of both sides of our family braved the winter elements to make it to our humble and grateful abode this holiday season. G endured a day’s worth of canceled flights to make it here before Christmas, and my parents navigated over slick roadways to get here safely on Sunday night, only to have to turn around and head home this morning in advance of the major snowstorm that’s scheduled to blanket – several times over – our part of the country tomorrow. We’re skittish of skid-ish roads, especially now that we have young children, and so we appreciate those making the extra effort to come to us so that we can all be together this time of year.

My parents with two-thirds of their grandkids

The (Sledding) Hills Are Alive

To my knowledge, there's only one decent sledding area in all of our elavationally challenged town. Olivia and I, and what seemed like most of the denizens of our community, made our way to the snowcapped mini-peaks, where we spent an afternoon racing down the hills and avoiding those doing the same thing.

In the Noel

In the morning hours so early that the tree still glowed warmly, both of our children awoke to find an assortment of presents awaiting them. Olivia got the one thing she desired most – Kit Kittredge, an American Girl doll – and Reed got his first choice, a wooden-blocks set that comes on a cart with which he can practice standing up.

Santa Worship from chris k on Vimeo.

We were joined again this year by G and Liz in the unhanging of stockings and unwrapping of presents, a tradition we’ve enhanced by our quick transition to the preparing and consuming of Christmas nachos.

A wish of merriment to all and of happiness to my lovely wife on her birthday.

Waiting Room

Olivia pulled up a seat in eager anticipation of the arrival of her grandmother and aunt.

The Riceman Cometh

Take a close look at the snack above. Baby Mum-Mums? Made by a company named Hot Kid? Rice rusks? HACCP certified? Upon further inspection, you’ll discover that these snacks are made in China. Nothing suspicious so far. Seems like the perfect choice for a baby starting on solids – right?

We think so.

Here he is rice-rusking for the first time.

Snack Stand from chris k on Vimeo.

Eschewing Gums

Tooth number three has broken free from the gums to see the light of day. The tooth’s owner is less than thrilled with this development.

Say Uncle

Quintin Carl, the firstborn child of my brother and his wife Danielle, was born the afternoon of December 17, 2009. I present to you my beautiful nephew and his proud parents. We can’t wait to meet him!

Sunday's Cool

Especially when you spend the afternoon at the children’s museum. Reed ventured out from our arms to spend time in the area for babies and toddlers.

The Old Man and the Tree

My eco-minded dad, hugging the tree he planted and dedicated to my mom while working as a United Nations Volunteer
(Korat, Thailand – November 2009)

Happy birthday to my old man, who officially becomes an old man, at least by the standards of a five-year-old.

Me: "Olivia, guess what? Today is Grandpa Tsune’s birthday."

Olivia: "Really? How old is he?"

Me: "He turns 60."

Olivia: "Wow. That’s old. You’re not 60 yet – right, Daddy?"

My dad just returned from another international assignment with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, which he got involved with four years ago after being excised unceremoniously from corporate life. He turned lemons into four work stints away – to Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and most recently, Thailand – and a gig teaching Japanese at a local university. When I talked to my dad, he told me that he’s retiring from his overseas work assignments (although he did leave open a door by mentioning Michael Jordan and his “retirements”), which got me thinking about how nice it must be for him to leave on his own terms, especially since he was disallowed such a choice before.

Well, Dad. I wish you the best in the retirement that you can call your own. (I must note you’re not really retired given your professorship and all, but you know what I mean.) I’m so glad – and certainly envious – that you’ve had the opportunities to see the world as a one-man Amazing Race team these last four years. Welcome home – see you soon.

Mother of Advention

Crafty means to be deceitful, but craft-y…replete-ful: Mommy has been busier than Santa’s elves in getting the house ready for the holidays. She’s filled our home with decorations galore, including ones she’s crafted by hand. Olivia’s been captivated by this year’s creation, a lovely Advent calendar, born a simple clipboard, that’s perched high above a baby’s standing reach.

Leaps and Bounds

Get a Jump On from chris k on Vimeo.

Yule Blog

The presents-worthy members of our families – Eric and I apparently are hard to shop for, not that I’d use this blog as a forum to publicly complain about this bit of injustice – got together for a picture to commemorate our annual holiday gift exchange and dinner. In all seriousness, we’re thankful for the gift of friendship that Penny and Eric have bestowed upon us, not just last night but over the years.

December 2009

And now that I’m firmly entrenched in maudlinism, allow me to add how delightful it is to watch Olivia and A.J. interact with each other. Here you have two kids – quirky in their own ways – who have grown up together and are able to express themselves and their endearment for one another in a manner that’s stripped of pretensions. For those of us whose childhoods are but distant memories, the genuineness of these kids’ play is worthy of our admiration and emulation.

November 2004

Witching Hour

For service today, the youthful congregants of the UU put on a play about Befana, the Christmas witch of Italian lore. Reed watched from his perch in the Baby Bjorn (a baby carrier of Swedish lore) while his sister and her friends played their role of non-speaking cats. The production was bellissimo.

Meow, er, ciao!

Rug(by) Rat

The little guy donned his jersey to get in line for Invictus, where he was joined by my wife, who seems overly enthused about a rugby movie. (Oh, what’s that? It features a buffed-up Matt Damon? Seriously now, I don’t know what that guy has going for him besides his movie-star looks, keen intellect, wry sense of humor, political highmindedness, and adorable family.)

In the Wise Words of Homer

Homer Simpson, that is:

"Dough!"

‘Tis also the season for eating in excess. We’re part of what seems to be a dozen or so cookie exchanges, where you trade in all of your self-respect and self-control for several dozen or so holiday cookies. (Not that I’m complaining.) Olivia, A.J., and Madison got the ovens warmed up during a bake date last weekend.

Babe's in Toyland

With the standing comes some falling over, usually back on his derrière or off to the side, but when the opportunity arises, he’ll topple headlong into our loving arms or a bin full of toys.

Like Fine Wine

Today is my mom’s birthday. I raise a glass of cabernet sauvignon to her on this day, for she gave me life and guidance as to how to best live it.

We celebrated her special day a week early when we made the trip to my parents’ home in Michigan the day after Thanksgiving. Happy birthday, Grandma Randi (aka G.R., her nom de gâteau when we run out of space on the cookie cake)!

Meet Me Halfway

The optimist in Olivia sees her birthday as half full. Today is the mid-annum mark until (after, too, I suppose) her summer birthday. She and Adrian celebrated by eating nearly half of the delicious homemade cake (notice the five and a half candles – clever, my better half!).

Jack Be Nimrodic, Jill Be Herbivorous

Word of the Day (from Merriam-Webster’s)
Nimrod
\NIM-rahd\
noun

Meaning
1 : a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar
*2 not capitalized : hunter
3 not capitalized, slang : idiot, jerk

Example Sentence
Dad fancied himself a mighty nimrod after he captured the rabbit who had been eating our garden.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

On the way to school, Olivia spotted the word “hunt” marked on a stack of wood at a construction site. The word happens to signify the name of the wood’s supplier, but it got us discussing the practice of seeking animals for catching or killing. Without any prompting of any sort, here is what the child remarked as part of our discussion (I nearly drove the car off the road because I was laughing so hard):

"We’re vegetarians because we want animals to be alive; meat eaters want animals to be in their tummy."

Lock in Key(s)

Olivia gave rapt attention to her piano performance, which she dedicated to a special member – well, the only member – of her audience: my mom’s childhood doll from Sweden. Grandma Randi was trusting enough to allow her granddaughter to play with the precious memento. Olivia, in return, took great care of the doll, treating her to a near-bench spot for the concert.

‘Tis the Season

Holiday cheer is in the air. The Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s block is a wonderful time of the year (some would say – or sing – the most wonderful), providing us with enough distractions from the bitter cold that accompanies it. We got a jump on Christmas decorations this year, with Olivia showing her little brother how we festoon our fake fir. (She also has her own smaller version, her Mini-Tree, if you will, that she weighed down with abounding adornments.)

We kicked off the holiday season with a feast with fine friends, complete with turkey three ways: bird (prepared by Julie), ersatz bird (Tofurkey from Trader Joe’s – thanks to Liz for picking one up), and ersatz Tofurkey (seasoned and stuffed tofu loaf assembled by Beni Crocker). And as you can see, even the baby is susceptible to the tryptophan-induced food coma.

See You Never, Alligator

Olivia: "Where do alligators live?"

Beni: "Not here. Mostly in the South. Like in Georgia and Florida."

Olivia: "But I was in Florida and I didn’t see any. Where do they live in Florida?"

Beni: "They live in the swamps. Why are you worried about them?"

Olivia: "Because they eat humans."

Chinese New Year

Ni Hao, Adri-an: Olivia’s buddy embarks on another year of her life today. To celebrate the occasion, Adrian and twenty of her friends rang in her new year on Saturday with a birthday party at a local foundation that runs Chinese cultural programs and supports families who have adopted children from China.