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Merry Christmas from the McCornacks! I was so anxious to get this letter out that I started writing it in November. And I finally remembered to save all my addresses on the computer so I don't have to look up every single one again. I couldn't wait to send this perfect picture of the boys, too. It was hard to choose from the countless pictures we've taken this year because they can't get enough of the camera.
Brian has spent this year working regular hours. He leaves the house at 8:00 and is home by 5:00 to help me make dinner every night. His department has a new policy of no working on the weekends - we are all for that! He has had to travel a few times but his boss always tells him to take his wife along so I've gotten to see new parts of the country while the boys stay home with our completely trustworthy sitter. I can't get her to just sit down and text when she's here. All she does is play and clean, play and clean. And for $4 an hour! Brian's work continues to be top notch and the university is just throwing more and more money at him to recognize him for his outstanding efforts. It's nice to see that they appreciate his contributions. We were finally able to sell our house in St. Paul for 3 times what we paid for it. We don't have a financial care in the world.
Jackson is almost 5 and attending three day preschool. He is always happy when I drop him off. He and Andrew (almost 3) get along amazingly well. There is never a raised voice at our house and sharing seems to be their favorite activity. Jackson loves to include Andrew in whatever he's doing and I've never seen a 2 year old with more patience. Wow! They enjoy 2 hour naps daily, seem to appreciate my OCD when it comes to toy clean-up (it's amazing how quickly they've learned that the books look better when organized by author and size), and they never leave legos on the floor. Andrew's food allergies disappeared over night and I'm enjoying preparing all kinds of meals with cheese and other milk products. Jackson is now able to eat creamy foods without gagging so I can once again prepare mashed potatoes and countless creamy casseroles.
Our dog, Roxie, is the most mellow, adaptable pet we could dream of having. She's little but she never barks and would never dream of peeing on my favorite pillow or tearing apart the seams of my couch on both sides. And her breath smells like roses.
I continue to greet each day with a smile after 8 hours of sleep. Mothering is so easy. I've yet to be challenged by it. I have a studio full of students who practice every day and come to their lessons with enthusiasm and motivation. I've become a much sought after singer in town since all my vocal issues resolved themselves without costly lessons. I run 5 miles a day with no discomfort or excuses. I'm doing a half marathon in the spring and that training has been a breeze. The "baby weight" has just fallen off and with it my stretch marks. Amazing! I am looking forward to wearing a bikini this summer. I've made several trips home to Minnesota this year. Hiring that driver has made the car ride much more relaxing for me. It's also helped that my entire family has decided to move to Manhattan this spring. Everyone has had enough of those Minnesota winters.
So glad the economy bounced back, the war is over, and employment is back in action!
Peace and Merry Christmas!
The McCornacks
5 comments:
Your letter brings tears to my eyes... so touching. And my side hurts from laughing, does that count as exercise?
I had to come read this again because I need another laugh! I have unfortunately been cut from the xmas letter list of an old friend in Indy... I would laugh just as hard at her letter except she wasn't trying to be funny. Hmm, I wonder why she cut me from the list? A highlight was the year she discussed "God's construction in her womb" as it went along with the construction of their new house.
Oh, those dramatic letters are so funny. So are the bad news letters. I still remember one we got when I was in high school. My whole family was crying tears of laughter while we read it at the table. It was one piece of bad news after another. The best part was when she wrote about breaking her leg because she fell off the back end of a truck. When things get that bad, it's best to just not write a letter!
I rec'd the "bad news" letter for the first time and was baffled by it. Good to hear someone else has seen this phenomenon. With so much death and despair in a family, perhaps just a pic of the kids will do??? I hope I also get the one from my realtors crazy homeschooling wife with six kids. Hers are awesome!
I read the one from Carrie's crazy homeschooling realtor's wife... loved how they worked in that their teenage son knocked some chick up, classic. So much for homeschooling keeping them out of trouble...
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