Dec 2

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me one bushy santa claus and one brown acorn.

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Also, there were endless Christmas tunes on the stereo and both the ups and the fedex guy knocking on the door. Let the frenzy commence!

Dec 1

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me one bushy santa claus.

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And two completely crazy boys.

Curtains

I was trying to get a picture of the boys for a holiday card, and between the gloom and wiggly boys it just wasn't going to happen. So I give you a "holiday season's opener," if you will. Two boys giggling in the curtains.

Piano Skills

The boys have been fascinated with the piano since they could stand up. Now that there's a bit more whole body dexterity going on, dancing and piano playing are starting to occur a the same time. And if you dance yourself onto the floor, well, you just get up and keep playing. Liam's over in the corner playing with finger cymbals.

Leaves!

Huge maple leaves are fun to play in.

Veteran

pop pop, on a dapper day

I have all sorts of issues with war, and dying, and militaries, and governments. Because of my inability to relate to a person's reasons for joining the military, my private parental sadness I feel whenever I hear one of those ads on the radio from the Marines congratulating yet another local high-schooler by name for taking the first step, I've never known what to say to a serviceman on veterans day. They've made choices I would never make, seen things I will never see, done things I will never do. But they have also carried out orders I cannot stomach, hurt people I will never get to apologize to, and represented my country while doing it.

I was on a crowded flight several months ago, juggling babies, and a grandmotherly woman in the row behind me was trying to get some smiles out of them. A man in fatigues boarded and started down the aisle. As he passed us, the woman turned, touched his arm, and said "thank you for your service." He smiled back, nodded, and continued down to his seat. She returned to playing with the boys. It wasn't veterans day, but there was something in the simplicity of her statement that spoke of a respect without judgement from an older time.

I may not feel moved to say it every time I see a person in uniform, but especially since it's veterans day,

Thanks, pop pop, for your service.
Thanks, dad, for your service.
And thanks to everyone else.

snippet

What is that sound you hear? It is the sound of Liam shrieking any time I am touching a computer.So this will be brief!

 liam regarding you from within the circle of entertainment

liam declaring he is done with breakfast, thank you.

 dash driving the box

mayhem

helping Charlie cook