Times They are a'Changin'
Christmas 2007
Not much hasn't changed in the last year: new baby, new house, new job, new schools, new country . . . . Weeks after Seraphina Estelle joined our family on January 4th, Aaron took up residence in Pennsylvania to fill a one-semester sabbatical position as choral director at Bloomsburg University (Britt didn't want to move the whole family). He flew home on weekends while Britt held down the fort in Cincinnati by relying excessively on television and hiring someone to help with cleaning and babysitting once a week. It was an enormously stressful period that ended successfully when Aaron landed a tenure-track Director of Choral Activities position at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. Of all the places we never expected to be! We moved this summer into a green bungalow on a quiet street a few blocks from the University, and are adopting our share of Canadianisms, including rounding our 'o's and frequently dropping the word "eh" into conversations. We're delightedly enjoying our first "White Christmas" in several years.
Happy Holidays!
Thelonius—6
- Theo is thriving in grade 1 at Massey French Immersion School, where he impresses even his high-energy teacher with his liveliness
- Figures out TV theme songs on the piano—probably a result of excessive viewing during Sera's early months
- Enjoys soccer, swimming, and running races in our basement to burn off all his excess energy
- Devours "Junie B. Jones" books at an alarming rate and insists that he needs glasses just like Junie B (see pic)
Adelaide—4
- We call Addy our "magic girl" since she can stop Sera's crying anytime, anywhere, using a unique (and clearly magical) combination of snaps, claps, and peek-a-boos
- A friend to all, she never gets a treat without offering to share with her brothers and sister
- Enjoying a second year of Joy School with her new Canadian friends
- Her artistic skills have carried over into piano lessons which she began this year; she looks forward to starting dance classes next year
Emerson—2 1/2
- Although it took us nearly a week to name him, Emer's name has borne out; he is a child of many words, much wisdom, and a wry sense of humor
- He takes his time with everything, contemplating details and wary of dangers . . . like garbage cans . . . and turnstiles . . .
- LOVES puzzles—he puts together 50 and 60 piece puzzles himself and helps his siblings with larger ones
- Push his belly-button and he roars (see pic) . . . just like the Tyrannosaurus rex at the Natural History Museum
Seraphina—11 months
- Ahh, Sera . . . the new little light of our lives; she's vibrant, energetic, full of spirit, and sweet as candy
- Curious about everything, she climbs more than is good for her and often has something not-meant-for-consumption clenched in her razor-sharp teeth
- Proudly displays the best cheeks of any of our kids—round and rosy and begging to be kissed
- Noisy! I guess she has to be to make herself heard at our house
