A Pacifist Joins a Fight Club and other news from 2017

I love getting the mail this time of year.  I love seeing family and friends’ beautiful photo cards and hanging them up in our dining room.  And, I also love sending them.  Addressing them, stamping them, and sorting them would not be tasks I would want to do on a regular basis.  But, I do find joy in the task once a year.  Along with the cards, I also like to send a little note for our blog post, so that I can share some updates on 2017.  So, without further ado, here goes……

3-year-old Rory becomes the worlds youngest real estate mogul

I remember last winter we found our old Monopoly game and the kids were curious.  So, we got it out, came up with some modified rules, and played.  Rory was the luckiest player!  With our modified rules, you could build houses on properties you owned if you just landed on it again.  Rory kept landing on his own properties and building house after house, hotel after hotel.  In the end, he won the game by a landslide – no cheating involved!  (just modified rules of course).

If addition to being a budding real estate investor, Rory (who is now 4), enjoys drawing very anatomically correct people and detailed machines, building with blocks and legos, playing outside, riding his Strider bike, cooking with Mom, and snuggling.  He started pre-school this year and is really starting to enjoy it after a couple of months of transition.

6-year-old Harper breaks world record for most days of a loose dangly tooth hanging on

Harper has had a loose tooth since March.  On the day she discovered it, we busted out the sewing machine to make a little tooth bag for when the tooth fell out.  She carried it with her on all overnight trips through the spring, summer and fall.  Guess when that tooth fell out……. December 12!  It was hanging on by a thread for months, but that thing just wouldn’t fall out.  Upon advice from her wise cousin, Gavin, she visualized it falling out on Dec. 11 and then it just happened the next day.  Woah!

Aside from breaking world records, Harper worked very hard to break a hard thumb-sucking habit this year.    She loves to ride her purple bike, swim, play school, make things for people, do crafts, and read.  She’s starting to learn to play piano, and she tried soccer for the first time this fall.  First-grade suits her very well.  She loves school.

Eric wrestles an Alligator and keeps all 5 fingers

Well, almost.  This statement is only partially true.  Eric did not wrestle a gator, but he did hold one.  Yes, it’s true.  In June, we took a family trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and not far from the park is the Colorado Gator Farm.  I did not want to go, but Eric convinced us all to stop.  During our tour, we fed gators, watched gators, and Eric HELD A GATOR!  The other 3 of us touched its tail.  Saying reptiles are not my thing is an understatement.  But, in the end, I will say it was one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been. 

Thankfully, Eric decided not to enroll in the gator-wrestling class.  Instead he proved his athletic prowess cycling hundreds of miles in the foothills around Fort Collins, playing basketball, and building a play structure in our back yard.  He continues to amaze me with his handy-man skills.

Haley, the pacifist, joins a Fight Club

Earlier this fall I had the opportunity to co-facilitate a presentation at CSU’s Diversity Symposium called “Fight Moves for Working Parents”.  It was sponsored by the Feminist Fight Club at CSU, which is a group dedicated to combating micro aggressions and discrimination in the workplace.  It was a fun opportunity for me to step outside my comfort zone and speak up for how we can make the workplace more productive for working parents, which is an issue I feel passionate about.

Outside of the fight club, this year I’ve enjoying being active outside (running, biking, hiking), deepening my yoga practice, learning some new crafty skills (hello fabric screen-printing), and getting more involved in Harper’s school community. 

Our Holiday Card this year says “Find your Merry”.  For our family, some of the best times we’ve had are when we’re adventuring outside together.  Unplugging from technology, having no strict agenda, and simply exploring the wonders of the natural world make our hearts swell.

In this world that sometimes feels chaotic, too-busy, and unpredictable, we hope that you can find ways to connect with what brings you joy and merriment in 2018.

Peace and Love,

Haley, Eric, Harper and Rory 

*** photo credits to Derek Haynes ***