Happy New Year 2009

What a fun day! Last night was the traditional New Year's Eve pizza and I was treated with hot funeral potatoes friends brought over -mmm mmm mmm so goo-oood! After they left, the kids put in Jurassic Park II and despite my thoughts to do something productive at the kitchen table, I too curled up on the couch under a blanket and watched Ethan's intent face while dinosaurs created havoc on the screen. Besides, I was determined to show Stuart that I could make it to midnight. The movie ended at 11:55, just in time to watch the ceremonious ball in New York drop -- Ethan and I counted down the last 15 seconds and I seriously thought he expected something miraculous to happen at the sight of confetti. (Does anyone besides me ever wonder who cleans all that up?) Kiana was fast asleep. Ah well, up to the kitchen for the traditional Pippin New Year Hot Fudge Sundaes; Ethan and I joked about how good his Christmas gift to me would be (a large package of plain M&M's he bought himself and secretly placed in my stocking) on our ice cream, Stuart pretend-pouting giving way to our giggles, and Maiya just giggled when we kidded with her she should be asleep. Good times.

This morning we hit the deserted Fashion Place Mall early so Kiana could fill the two Build-A-Bears we got her for Christmas. Who would have thought dressing up teddy bears would be so profitable? I wish I did! She was so excited to get the panda bear filled and give it a loving kiss; she wanted to exchange the other (koala) for some clothes and we told her how much money she had to spend; she ended up getting another bear - the moose "Holly" - and it was a joy watching her eyes light up at the prospect of another bear! Maiya was happy to carry around the other bear too!

Ethan exchanged a duplicate gift for something NOT legos - surprise! It's fun to see what the kids have learned about money. After a family lunch which included Brook and his girlfriend, Suzy, at Red Robin, we were off to a relaxing afternoon. Stu got in football, Ethan made sugar cookies, I didn't even clean -- I just made more of a mess organizing papers.

We played our first-ever round of UNO-ATTACK and it was so fun. Ethan jumped around and Kiana made silly faces & Maiya was Suzy's button pusher. Let's not forget, Ethan would pass gas and say,"Dad, that was for you." What is it with gas?

Heading to bed, Kiana insisted she couldn't fall asleep and that "I don't know HOW to go to sleep! My mind just keeps thinking and thinking!" I was whistling and she sat straight up with a look of disbelief on her face,"Ha! You guys NEVER taught ME how to whistle!" How devastating! I said,"Kiana, some adults don't know how to whistle. That's OK." "Yeah, like grandma. She can't whistle 'cuz she's not an adult." I thought she was talking about Grandma Pippin. "What do you mean?" "Grandma's not an adult, she's a grandma." Ah, laughing on the inside I crawled into bed and started to write down her comments on a random piece of paper. When she came back in, I asked her about the whisting again. "Grandma Engla can't whistle 'cuz she's not an adult. She's a grandma." Her being so matter-of-fact made her comments even more funny. Amazing the things kids remember: I do recall my 96 year-old grandma showing the kids her unsuccessful whistling attempts and laughing her Danish-laugh. I'm glad Kiana remembered that. And to think, earlier this year I had Kiana convinced I was 13...

Today I am grateful for smooth chocolate shakes.

"This is the beginning of a new year, and each of us might well say to himself, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Let me begin now to prepare for eternal life, that I may know a fullness of joy and happiness now and forever.” After all, this is really what each of us wants, and it is most important that we take time to find out how to get it and begin now to work at it day by day." ~N. Eldon Tanner, "Just for Today", New Era, Jan 1975, 4