Christmas Letter 2011
I really don't intend to abandon my journal, I just FAIL at keeping up. I've lately done a few private entries just to help me process some stuff I've been challenged with, but other posts haven't come together. I have a lot to update on, but for now (as I rush to get ready for work and the kids to preschool and the babysitter), I am just going to post the Christmas letter I whipped together at the last minute to send to family and friends in with my Christmas cards this year. Keeping it here will give me a place to look back for a wee glimpse of the past year...
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December 6, 2011
Another holiday season is upon us again! I always love when folks include a little letter with their happenings in with their holiday cards, so I decided to give it an attempt myself this year. I tend to be a very “wordy” writer, so I am going to do my best to make this short and sweet!
Life with two little children is, predictably, very busy and very full-on. There is absolutely no chance of boredom in our household. Thankfully, with being a stay-home mom I have lots of time to soak up the goodness of my little people. I had always expected to return to work after my year of maternity leave with Ariana, but I was laid off from my position last December, right before Christmas, when the government did massive cuts to community-based social services. As a part of me really wanted more time at home during my last baby’s second year, I was not very upset about the lay-off. However, it did take some adjustment to living on only one income when the maternity pay ran out in April! I decided that putting two children in full-time daycare would not be beneficial with the starting pay scale with a new employer, so I am intending to refrain from a serious job search until Rylan starts in Kindergarten (which are now full days) next September. If a good work opportunity falls into my lap before then, I may be tempted though! I have been doing a bit of casual coverage, filling in for holidays here and there and that has been nice for the change of pace. Thankfully Kyle has a steady and secure job with Sierra Systems where he’s been working as a software developer since I first met him almost eleven years ago!
We have been in our new house for almost 15 months now, and have really enjoyed it. It’s been interesting moving into the shell of a brand new place and making it into a home. We love this area of Greater Victoria (the West Shore) and are amazed at how many services (e.g. new bowling alley, ice rink, movie theatre, restaurants, etc. within walking distance) are popping up all around us in this ever-growing community. Our neighbourhood alone changes on a weekly basis as the new houses fly up. We were the first people to move on to our crescent in September 2010 and since then the families have moved in all around us at an unbelievable speed. I must say that I am still not sold on the reality of high-density developments like ours with homes so close together and on such tiny lots, but we have really benefitted from the low-maintenance aspect of our property. Cutting our grass takes a mere three minutes! With everything being new, inside and out, we have had very few must-do projects to tackle in this past year (which felt SO nice after all the renos we had to do in our starter home). We were able to log lots of outside time with the kids in our small backyard and driveway over the year, especially once Kyle’s parents put in a swing set and sandbox for the kids in the summer! We were also really fortunate to have had a fantastic tenant in the suite above our garage for the whole first year and have had only a few glitches with our new tenants so far. It is great having the suite unattached to our house- we never have to worry about all the noise (the SIGNIFICANT noise) our little people make!!
Speaking of little people, both kids are doing fantastically! Rylan is a very energetic 4.5 year-old very “boyish” boy! He is now in his second year of preschool and loving it. We changed to a co-op preschool this year, which means that I do duty days within his classroom and spend lots of time involved there with fundraising and meetings and whatnot. Rylan still loves airplanes and helicopters obsessively, but has also added new interests into the mix, such as dinosaurs, sea creatures, action figures, space vehicles, etc. He is definitely not the most athletically-inclined sort, but he really has fun and does his best with his gymnastics and swim classes. We quickly abandoned soccer, as he was much more interested in picking the grass than practicing any soccer skills! He’s still a bit behind his peers developmentally, and is receiving some outside help with areas such as speech and fine motor skills, but he has made HUGE leaps in the past year. He’s just always been one to march to his own beat and do things on HIS time… He is also just finishing a round of “food school” where therapists work with picky eaters to make food fun! His picky eating habits led to a case of anemia which is now being treated with iron therapy. He’s still a little guy at 33.5 pounds, but he has started eating SO many more things this past year. Overall, Rylan is extremely exuberant about everything in life and he has fun, fun, fun every single day!
Adding our little ladybug into the family mix in April 2010 has brought nothing but wonderful things to our lives. Ariana has been a very determined “spirited” little girl right from the start. When she’s happy, she is REALLY happy, and when she’s not, she’s REALLY not. She finally recently started walking a few days before 18 months and now is just always, always going. She has a great vocabulary for her age and loves to sing, dance, and learn new words and songs as much as her little brain will allow her to absorb. She copies everything her big brother does and tries very hard to keep up with him. She is desperate to stay and play when we drop Rylan off at school and wants to join in the fun when we watch him at gymnastics. So far she’s only been in swimming classes and drop-in playgroups, but as soon as she is old enough I think she’ll love to try other new activities. She’s a very cuddly momma’s girl, which of course I love (except for when I would like to go to the bathroom by myself).
We have settled in nicely to our new life as a family of four and even managed a trip back to the Mayan Riviera, Mexico, together last January. Having small children and living on one income for now has necessitated a squash to my travel bug, but it will be back with a vengeance some day, I’m sure. Thanks to our children’s generous and loving grandparents whom relish a chance to be with Rylan and Ariana, Kyle and I have managed a couple wee getaways by ourselves, including a trip to Vegas in July!!
We are very fortunate to have some amazing family and friends in our lives. It does become very challenging to stay in touch when family life can be so completely absorbing, but it is definitely worth the effort to keep connecting with all of you. We have had some really nice times with visitors this past year, and honestly welcome anyone wanting to come see us (almost) anytime!