Resiliency

-noun
1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.

2. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.

I met this word as a sixth grader, when my teacher remarked that I was "resilient". I liked how it sounded, it sounded so much like brilliant (another favorite word of mine), so I knew it had to be good. When I discovered what it meant, I liked it even more, and realized that I must be a resilient person.

Resiliency is the ability to pick yourself up after you fall over and over again in the relentless pursuit of a goal. It is taking lemons and making lemonade. It is reaching for the brass ring, even after you miss it the first five times around. It is keeping your nose to the grindstone in the face of adversity for the long haul because, in the end, it will all be worth it. Yes, I am resilient...

But I have seen resiliency that I don't know I posses. I work with people who have special needs, who face challenges every single day because their body, mind, spirit, or background have prevented them from functioning at the level of their peers. Every day, they pick themselves up (sometimes literally), and face each day. Sometimes they stumble, but they never stop. They never give up. Because what is the alternative? The mom of the child who has "behavioral problems", who each day chooses to love her child, because no one else will. Who drives 45 minutes for appointments, who has carefully scheduled her life around the needs of this child to make things just a little easier. Or the person who grew up in poverty, in addiction, and a part of "the system", who grabbed that brass ring the first time around, and took the opportunity to build a life and break that cycle. A person who is intelligent, articulate, caring, and never forgets the barriers that were overcome.

So, while I believe that I am a resilient person, and that, perhaps, in the face of such adversity, I would hold true to my beliefs that it is better to keep on going. But, thus far, my "resiliency" is just an ideal, nothing compared to the grit that I have seen in some very special people recently. I am so blessed to have these people in my life, to teach me about true persistence, true resiliency.

So take those lemons, don't chew on them! Add a little sugar, water, and make it something sweet!

A day off...

I took today off because the kids didn't have school today. There are quite a few days in the next month that they do not have school, so I thought I would take a few of those days off with them. I am trying to get the house clean, so that I can enjoy the rest of the weekend, but can't seem to find all of my motivation. Oh, well, it is about 1/2-way done and I have the rest of the day to finish the other half.

Fridays at work are my favorite day of the week to work, and now, they are my favorite day to have off from work, too. I am becoming a work-junkie, and with convenient remote access, I can check my e-mails whenever I want (oh, lucky me!). So, it is hard, if not impossible, for me to resist the urge to check my work e-mail. Because, you never know, the place could burn down if I'm not checked in. But, there is so little e-mail traffic on Fridays, and what few e-mails I have had, I was able to easily address. It is nice to feel like I can actually have a day off without the stress of work hanging over my head. Kind of like a mini-vacay, :)

Today, Lilly and I ran into St. Cloud to run a few errands. It was gloomy and rainy outside, and I didn't really want to be running around. But Lilly was feeling, oh, so chipper. She blabbed on and on from the backseat, mostly to herself as she was playing with some dolls. Gradually, the noise became louder and louder, until she was singing at the top of her lungs. This continued for about 10 minutes, when she stopped. I told her, "Lilly, that was a beautiful song,", and she informed me that she just made it up because she felt like singing. It was so perfect. She has so much joy, at times (when she isn't being a drama queen, :-)because she finds happiness in simple things.

I have always believed that I am a happy person, a person who can find and share joy, a person who looks at the bright side, and who believes in the value of hard work and persistence. But, as life moves on, it is starting to wear me down, and at times, I feel like I am losing those parts of myself that I have always believed to be "me". I think that I have shifted my priorities, both out of necessity, and out of a belief to fit into a certain mold, and those priorities aren't necessarily conducive to joyful self-expression. I will treasure that moment with Lilly that we had today, and I will always encourage her, as well as Alex and Cameron, to take a moment to find joy and to share it with others.

On a different note, we had conferences for all three kids last night at school. It was nice to hear that they are all doing well. They have all been blessed with very good teachers who complement their personalities. It has been such a good school year, I hate to see it winding down. You just never know what the next grade will bring...it could be great, but it could be terrible. I guess we have to just wait and see.

Hopefully, it stops raining soon and the spring flooding isn't too bad. Apparently the Sauk River is one that is being watched closely, as there is potential for significant flooding. Last year, one of the playgrounds which is on the river, was almost completely underwater. Hopefully, it isn't any worse this year, since many homes and businesses in our community are very close to the Sauk.

Stay dry!!

Productivity....

Saturday morning, and no where to go today. I'd better enjoy it because we are starting our SPOT dance program in two weeks. Practices every Saturday from March 13 to the end of April. It is a sacrifice, and one that I thought long and hard about. I really enjoy my Saturday mornings, and if they are like today, they are very productive. But, I decided I could sacrifice six or seven of them in a year for the girls who look forward to dance every year.

So far, I have....
Laundry for the week almost done--including my bedding
Both bathrooms clean from top to bottom (minus the floors...I'll get to that soon)
My bedroom clean and dusted.
The living room cleaned, dusted, and partially vacuumed
All the bills are paid--did that last night

I love feeling on top of all of my responsibilities. It usually only lasts so long, and once things get busy, I tend to let things go a bit.

Nothin' better than a sunny Saturday morning.

News around the Holen house:

Ed has been quite busy with taxes this year. So far, he has done as many returns as he did all year last year. He is doing a good job of keeping up with it all, but I'm sure he is looking forward to April 15.

As a result, I have been pretty much a single mom. As hard as that sounds, it really hasn't been too bad. I have finally started to put my foot down with the kids as far as making them responsible for household tasks, which gives me a little more time to veg out on the couch and watch "mommy tv", a treasure for me, since I so infrequently get to watch what I like.

I have been working hard at working out, although I know I need to pick up the frequency a bit. I usually get to Snap about 3x.week, I'd like to bump it up to four, but it is hard to find the time and energy, especially since I can't usually go until 8:45 or so. I am training for a 5k, I suppose, and recently was able to run 1.1 miles without stopping. This is a huge accomplishment for me, since I have never been any good at running.

The kids are doing well, growing fast. I am trying to take more time for them, letting myself be in the moment with them. It is truly hard to balance it all. Alex continues to have a good year in school, although he has recently had some tummy troubles. I am thinking he has some type of virus, but he has been queasy almost all day long for the past two weeks or so. I think it is getting better, I haven't heard as many complaints. Usually, by suppertime, it seems to work itself out, but by morning, he is feeling yucky again.

Cameron is also doing well in school. He has been reading the "Henry Huggins" books by Beverly Cleary, and some of the Ramona books, too. I love that he enjoys these books, since these were my favorite books growing up. He reads like a madman, and when he is not reading, he is either asking to play Madden '10 on the Xbox or he is throwing his red football in the air, dazzling me with his diving catches. That boy has the football bug, and he has it bad.

Lilly continues to be growing and changing. She loves preschool, and is doing well with her letters. She is also turning into quite a reader, which is impressive, considering that she is not even in kindergarten. She can read much of "Hop on Pop", and works hard to sound out words. If the words sound the same way they look, she can read almost anything. She gets mixed up with the "th", "sh", "ch" and other combinations.

As for me, things have been OK. Work has been busy, but overall has been a bit better than it has been over the past six months or so. I am beginning to write in a journal, and have three books on my "to do" pile. I just need to keep working on balance, saying no, and recognizing my boundaries. Not an easy task when it seems as though everyone needs so much from me. But I'll keep working at it.

Have a great day~it is sunny and beautiful here today, it might get up to 35 degrees.

Happy obligations

Last night, I attended a lecture by Louise Erdrich, a favorite author of mine. She spoke about creativity. I first need to thank my friend Leslie, for the ticket. She works in the fine arts department at St. Ben's/St. John's, and was able to get tickets for those of us from book club who wanted to go. It was a very good evening, and one that will be the topic of this week's musing.

I generally don't think myself a creative person, at least not when it comes to anything visual. I can't draw, paint, or even decorate my home very well. I don't have a very good sense of style (I always wear solid pants/solid shirts, and only have a small pile of shoes to choose from). But I do feel the creative stream (Erdrich's words, not mine) flowing through me. I am imaginative.

I have always thought that I was an intelligent person. I always received good grades in high school and college, and had potential for better grades. But I never did more than what was required of me. I didn't actively seek out opportunities to expand my intelligence or creativity. As a child, I was a bookworm...I was always reading something. But, as a young adult, I pretty much stopped reading. And there were years, YEARS, let me tell you, that I never picked up a book. I don't know if it was information overload. As a college student taking a full load of credits, who really wants to sit down and read more, or attend more lectures? I just wanted to get done, get married, get a job, have babies, and live happily ever after.

And that is what I did.

And don't get me wrong, there are aspects of my life in which I am so incredibly satisfied. I realize how blessed I am. I have three beautiful, bright, healthy children, who generally don't try my patience too much (except when they are hyper, that really gets under my skin). But they are good kids, they try hard in school, they are good to other people, and they aren't punks (at least not yet). I have a wonderful husband. We have grown up together, and yet, he recognizes my need to be a separate person from him. He encourages me and supports me, and above all, loves me unconditionally. My work is immensely challenging, which is a double-edged sword. It can be both my blessing and my curse. I am working now on balancing the stressors of my job with the rewards, and am trying not to let my job consume me. Again, not sure if the job thing is a blessing or a curse, but regardless, I have a job that is diverse, challenging, and one where the sky is the limit, so I guess it falls more on the "blessing" end of the spectrum.

But when I look at that paragraph above, I see that all of my blessings are other people. I don't have a blessing that pertains to me.

At times, I feel as though something is missing. I feel like there is something in me which is uncultivated, untouched. Like an abandoned room in a house, where slipcovers protect the furniture from dust. Because I just don't quite feel like me.

As I'm listening to this woman, author of countless books and a literary genius, in my opinion, I realize that I have let my river of creativity flow without any intervention on my part to shape it, to develop it. I spend my creativity making spreadsheets for work. I spend my creativity making silly voices when I am reading to Lilly. I spend my creativity cleaning the house. Those are all fine tasks, necessary tasks. But I am sitting there, pondering this...is that all I can do with my river? Is there more I can do? If so, what should it be?

As a teenager, I used to write poetry. All types of poetry. Sonnets, Haikus, iambic pentameter (I can't even remember what that means, but it was a tool for me when I wrote). Granted, the poetry was nothing spectacular, and I'd probably be too embarrassed to share it. And, quite honestly, I don't even know where it is anymore. But that was how I expressed myself. That is how I put into words the thoughts that were stirring in my head. How do I express myself now? Is it a color-coded spreadsheet listing revenues by department? Don't get me wrong, some of my spreadsheets are totally kick-ass, but is that it for me in terms of self-expression? Do I express myself by vacuuming under the couch? How do I get this energy out of my head?

I have seriously been thinking about writing a book. First, if I can write a really great book, I can make some money. Wouldn't that be great? To sit down, spend a year writing a book, and make a boatload of cash...doesn't that sound easy? I also want to write a book to complete my mom's legacy. She was always going to write a book, the "Great American Novel", she called it. She was a Thorn Birds junkie, and she wanted to write a love story about a priest. It makes me giggle a little bit, but it might make a really good storyline. I've been kicking around possible story lines, characters, and settings. I want to write something that is not cliche, hokey, corny, or mindless, but I also know that I am not a very good writer.

So, in pondering this idea, I have been wondering the million dollar question...where do I come up with the time to explore such a crazy dream? Last night, at that lecture, someone asked her if she writes every day. She said, yes, she tries to write every day, but there are times that she can't. "Happy obligations," she called them. Her children, her family, her bookstore pull her away from her writing. Leslie and I looked at each other immediately, we had just been discussing over supper how to balance our family life, our work, and our own self. How do we keep from losing ourselves in the midst of all of this hubbub? I maintain a position of good Catholic motherly martyrdom. I believe that if I give all I have to my family now, when they all leave, I will be able to explore my own interests, and I will have no regrets. I won't look back and feel like I didn't do enough for my kids. But Leslie brings up another point...if you put it all on hold, how do you even know what your interests are once you have the time to explore them? And I began to think from a different point of view...if you put your life on hold to nurture the lives of others, what if you don't make it to the "finish line"? What if your life is cut short before you are able to explore your dreams? Do I want my life to end feeling incomplete, feeling like there was more to me that was never explored?

Hmmmmm, good point. But how do you squeeze it in? Ms. Erdrich writes daily in a diary. She calls it a warm-up exercise and part of her "mulch pile" of words and ideas to draw from when writing a book. OK, I can do that. I have long thought about auditing courses at St. Kate's. As an alumni, I am able to audit one course per semester for the rest of my life. That means I can sit in the class, but I don't have to do the work, and I don't receive credit. But there are logistical reasons why that doesn't happen. Even if I took a night course, one night per week for about 15 weeks, I would have to drive 1.5 hours to sit in class. That one will truly need to wait. I don't have time for that. I know that I can continue to read. Explore literature. Read from the great authors. Challenge myself to read something that is complicated, difficult to understand. I need to continue to challenge my intellect. I can begin paying attention to things around me that I have written off as boring, too complicated.

These are all great ideas, but the call "Mom..."will keep pulling me away from them for the foreseeable future. Happy obligations.

Another year down...

On Monday, the 8th, we will mark the 11th anniversary of the day that mom died. Last year, I posted a monster-sized blog entry to get so many of my feelings about this out as well as to describe the events of the week that she died. This is important to me because as time goes on, the memories of that week become more faded. It was the most horrible week I have ever experienced, yet, I don't ever want to forget it. Strange, isn't it?

So, this year, I won't go on and on and on, other than to firmly reiterate how much I miss her and how I wish she were here. I just can't help but imagine how things could have been. How would my life be different if I had the one person in this world who not only believed in me (more than I believe in myself), but who had the courage to push me. So many people in this world tell you what you want to hear, but she would tell me what I need to hear.

There are many situations in my life now that I would give anything to hear what I need to hear from someone who only cares about me.

So, it sucks that she isn't here, and I am forced to try to find my own way.

Jess and I will be getting together on Monday for a fun day of shopping and lunch in honor of mom. I think that would make her so happy. I am so thankful for Jess, and am so very grateful that the past year has brought us closer together. We are determined not to mope and be miserable on the 8th, that is not what mom would want, nor is it what we would want. In years past, we would call each other with a little "mom-ism" or send each other flowers with a mom-ism on the card. They are always funny, and in a way, we poke a little fun at her, but that is how we make the day work for us. We try to make it fun. Because what other choice is there?

Last Friday, a 49-year old woman from our community died in a car accident. The accident happened about 5 minutes behind me, which kind of freaked me out. After mom's accident, I began to ponder the significance of a minute, or even a second. What if mom would have left five minutes earlier for work that day? What if she would have forgotten her purse, and had to run into the house before she left that morning. What if she would have driven 62 miles per hour instead of 58? I had my own thoughts that morning...what if I would have been held up for five minutes last Friday morning? It could have easily happened because I didn't need to be at work at any certain time. It was a scary thought.

Then, to see the community outpouring last week, to see all of the people who had connections with this family, it brought back so many memories of our own situation. I am certainly keeping their family in all of my thoughts and prayers.

So, that is that. Monday will be fun, and we will embark on our 12th year without mom here.

As far as the day to day events of the Holen house, there hasn't been too much going on lately. Lilly had her kindergarten open house this week, which is just crazy. I remember going to those with the boys, and the time between the open house and the first day of kindergarten seemed to go by so quickly. So, before I know it, I will have three kids in school.

Then, I have been thinking about our daycare plan. The kids will all go to daycare yet this summer, but by next summer, I am thinking about having the boys start to stay home a couple of days each week. This idea is so scary, I am very nervous to leave my kids home alone all day long. But they will be 10 and 11, so I think they will be ready. It will be nice to save that money, but it will sure be scary for me.

The boys have been doing well in school, there isn't much news to report on them. Cameron continues to be completely obsessed with football, will toss the ball to himself and then dazzle whoever is watching him with his fancy catches (and their instant replays :) ). He knows all there is to know about the NFL, all of the players for all of the teams and most of their numbers. It is crazy . Alex has been reading like crazy, and he is beginning to read the Harry Potter books. He and Ed have been busy each night playing video games...Alex is our gamer, for sure. I could take it or leave it, but it is nice that they spend that time together.

The kids are growing and changing so much right now, we are really on the verge of a whole new time in our lives.

Take a minute this week to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate them...

Bye.

The new year!

Happy 2010 to everyone! It has been quite a whirlwind of activity over the past two weeks or so. The holidays in the Holen house are kicked off by Lilly's birthday on the 21st. I took the 21st off (I usually work from home on Mondays, and got all of my work done Sunday night so I was FREE!!!). We went to the mall and finished up the Christmas shopping, went out for lunch, and went to see Princess and the Frog. That movie was super-cute...I think I loved it as much as Lil. We then came home and had cake and presents. She is so excited to be 5, and I am struggling just a bit with the fact that our baby is 5. She is turning into such a big girl, and while I love the little person she is turning out to be (for the most part...there is that strong-will that I am not always so fond of :), I miss her baby-ness so much. I think that is a natural hurdle that parents have to overcome when their youngest grows up. On one hand, I think that if I had just one more baby, I would be able to apply all I have learned with the first three kids, especially not to rush through it because it goes so fast. But, then, in another five years, here I would be, with aching arms, watching my baby grow up. I know another baby isn't the answer, and quite honestly, another baby would probably land me in the loony bin! I have my hands overflowing with life right now. Adding more would just not be a good idea.

So, anyway, she's five now...big stuff.

Then, we had Christmas. I was, at first, sad that the snow ruined our Christmas plans. On Christmas Eve, we usually go to the Konz (Ed's mom's family) get-together. The food there is fabuloso! I thought about that food all day on Christmas eve, only to decide that it wasn't safe to venture out in the quest for delicious food. On Christmas day, we have the Backes (my mom's family) get-together. I love those big family gatherings, where there is noise, people, and kids everywhere! So, I was disappointed that we weren't going to go.

But.....

I had THREE STRAIGHT DAYS where I did not leave the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND....I let the house stay messy! The kids and Ed and I played, watched movies, ate, and drank wine (Ed and I, not the kids). I did clean a bit the day after Christmas and actually dusted my bedroom! That is how much time I had!!!! It was so great, but left me wanting more. So, now I am planning to do nothing on my weekends from here on out for awhile. We had something going on at least one of the two days on the weekends since November 20. That is a lot of running around. But, aside from a birthday party we are hosting for Alex on the 10th, I have nothing on the calendar for any upcoming weekend.

So, Christmas was beautiful. It was very special to be able to spend it at home with the kids, and really felt like the way it should be.

Then, on the 30th, was Alex's 10th birthday. I took that day off from work as well, and we laid around all morning. Then, we all went out for lunch, to the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, and swimming at the AmericInn here in Cold Spring. Then home for supper with g-ma and g-pa Holen and cake/presents. It was such a busy day! So, all of the feelings I am having about Lilly turning 5, I am also having with Alex turning 10. These past 10 years have been probably the fastest of my life. Then, I think about how fast the next 10 years will go, and before I know it, I will have 2 kids in college!!! AAAHHHHH!!! How can that be?!?!? But, again, I love the person Alex has become. He is caring, thoughtful, and a little quirky. I see a lot of me in him (scary thought).

Then, we celebrated Christmas with the Holens over this past weekend.

So, here I am, at 1 am, updating my blog. There has been so much going on, tomorrow will be like a giant sigh of relief.

In addition to ruminating over how big my kids are getting, I am also setting my course for 2010. I have made several resolutions for the year, all of which really tie into the same common thread. Happiness...

The first resolution I have is to not allow stress to control my life. I am very susceptible to the force of stress, and over the past few months have allowed it to conquer me, and to rob me of my happiness. Stress pretty much renders me useless and makes me incredibly inattentive to the needs of others. So, while I have been feeling sad about how fast the kids are growing, I know the only true solution to that is to take each moment, one at a time, and deal with it effectively and thoroughly, so I can have no regrets. But, I must overcome the stress first. This will not be an easy job for me because all of the areas of my life spill over into each other. I often times thing that my life is like a big Thanksgiving dinner. It is robust, full, and very satisfying. But if you eat it day after day after day, it is just a little too much. My plate is full, and everything is running together. My work spills over into my home, my home spills over into work, and all of it affects my ability to take care of myself.

Soooo....resolution #1--beat the stress monster!

Resolution #2 has to do with weight loss. Yep. Again. I am not going into detail here because it is a broken record. But, I will try, and try hard. I am planning to reward myself with a little ink when I accomplish my goal. I am also planning to register for a few 5k's to force myself to train for something. I have a great motivator in my younger brother, Rick, (who is in fantastic shape), and he won't let me register for an event and not do it. So, there is no other choice but to do it.

Resolution #3--Not to measure myself against anyone else's measuring stick. I will not allow myself to feel badly about my accomplishments (or lack of them), my material possessions, or my appearance unless they do not meet my standards. I will not allow other people's standards of appearance, success, or accomplishment persuade me into feeling bad or into making choices I wouldn't otherwise make. I am done seeking approval. I am who I am, and I am incredibly blessed. I have decided where to pour my energy and my resources and I am going to give it all that I have. And I believe that I will reap rewards far greater than material possessions.

Resolution #4--get back in touch with me. This is really the ultimate goal, the combination of 1, 2, and 3. I know what kind of person I am, and I generally like that person. But the stress and busy-ness of life has begun to change that about me, and I don't like it. I am taking myself back, and am prepared to make any necessary changes in my life to accomplish that. So watch out world!!!!

Anyway, these are the thoughts coming out of my head at 1 am. A bit random, sort of rambling, but hey, if you didn't like it, you wouldn't be reading this :-)

BTW--I plan to mail out my Christmas cards sometime in the next week...I haven't forgotten!

Have a blessed and joyous 2010!!!!

Making Peace

I can't believe it has been six weeks since I have posted. It has been such a long month, November was an incredibly stressful month at work, and I have decided that I don't handle stress very well. I feel as though I was in a haze for the past six weeks, and only recently am I coming out of it. Now, I am feeling better, feeling a little more in control, and am looking forward to Christmas and the birthdays of Alex and Lil.

As a conclusion to my misery last post...I had an encounter last night with people who are so much worse off than me. They stopped over to pick something up. I felt so badly for them, because I know that they are in a much worse situation than I could ever imagine, and I realized that they would probably give anything to have what I have. I felt humbled and ashamed that I could ever want any more in my life when I have three healthy kids, a warm and clean (but small) roof over my head, a fulfilling job, and a good husband. I realized that I have everything that those people would want, and I felt so selfish for being so pitiful. So, I am done with that misery because it doesn't do anyone any good.

I am so happy to be getting rid of the stress of the last six weeks or so, and am glad that I am feeling more like myself. I generally am a very even, optimistic person, and when I start to not feel that way, it freaks me out a little bit. So, here's to feeling stress-free (well, maybe not stress-free, but definitely less) and happy, just in time for the Christmas season!

We are getting ready for two big birthdays in this house. First, Lilly will be turning 5 on the 21st. I can't believe that Lilly is turning 5, it is kind of hard to see your baby getting so big! I was just telling Ed last night that I love the age where she is at right now, and I don't want her to grow up any more. She is so inquisitive right now, and I see so much of myself in her. She is currently obsessed with the letter "L" (because that is the first letter of her name), and she gets so happy anytime she sees an "L". She scours magazine covers and books for "L"s. She is also very interested in spelling, she wants to know how all kinds of words are spelled, truly she is my daughter! She is very curious about everything, she wants to know how everything works. She is at this perfect stage right now, and I just don't want it to go away. It is hard to believe that it has been 5 years since we've had her, it seems like she is still a baby! I guess maybe that is always true of the baby of the family.

And then Alex will be the big double-digits on the 30th. He is also at such a good stage right right now. He is doing very well in school, and is really growing up. He is helpful and has been very easy-going. If anyone knows this boy, easy-going was never a word I could have used to describe him, but he sure is right now! While I am sad to see my kids getting so big, I do love the age that Alex is at. I can actually talk to him about things. I suppose this is the calm before the pre-teen storm! He has turned into a bookworm, and his reading goal for the month of December at school is 1200 pages! I don't even know if I could read 1200 pages. I think Alex has probably the perfect teacher for where he is at right now. She is very encouraging, but not overly so. She pushes him to do his best, but does it in a way that he responds to. I am so thankful that he has such a good teacher at such a critical point in his school life. Fourth grade seems to be a sort of turning point, and is laying the foundation for the next few years.

Then, you throw Christmas in there, and our next three weeks are going to be just crazy!

And, not to exclude Cameron--there isn't too much news to report on Cameron. He is really into the Vikings right now. He makes sure we DVR all the games and then he watches them all week long. He has a Vikings shirt that he wears ALL THE TIME, I need to monitor how often he wears it because he would wear it every day. He also likes to play football in the house, which gets on my nerves sometimes, but he is just such a boy that I think it comes with the territory. He is a stellar student, and had all E's on his midterm (E's=A's), except in handwriting. So his teacher's prediction is that he will be a doctor :). He also takes after me because I always had terrible handwriting when I was younger.

I think that will do for now. I hope everyone enjoys the blessings of the Christmas season this year!