New Year's Eve ruminations - let's hear it for 2013!

It's 10:45 and the kids just finally fell asleep.  We went to a kid-friendly "New Year's on the East Coast party," getting there for dinner and watching the ball drop at 9pm our time.  Only thing is, the kids were so wired from the poppers and the horns and the endless munchies that it was a bear getting them to calm down!  I will say, though, that staying in their room for nearly 45 minutes gave me a lot of time to reflect on this past year.

So what happened?

We started off by stressing through the placement process.
Then found our match.
Finishing my thesis and classes.
Joy and chaos of ordination.
Ending our time in Cincinnati: last days at HUC, AJA, JCC, Rockdale Temple, with friends.
Moving to Sacramento via Long Beach.
Getting settled in the house.
Getting settled at the kids' school.
Getting oriented at work.
Realizing that work is not "work" but an amazing, welcoming, cherished community.
Trying to be patient with the kids dealing with their own transition.
Figuring out how to parent when I'm no longer a full-time student.
Figuring out to how to be a wife when I'm no longer a full-time student.
Figuring out anew how to be a daughter and cousin and niece and in-law when family is nearby.

I don't think that there was "success" or "failure" to be reached at any of these, but I will say that I think it's getting easier.  I feel very fulfilled with my life calling, with my children, with my marriage, with being back in California.  Overall, it's been a fantastic year, defined probably more by change than by anything else.

What defined your 2012?

Road trip south

Christmas with Jonathan's family was a huge reunion!  This is the first of probably three posts, this one being from the night we spent at David's house.

Just re-meeting the cousins, a little tentative.

 The kids warming up due to TJ's warmth, Marissa's silliness, and the lightsaber they let X play with.

 By the next morning, everyone was right at home. (X is not in this picture because he's knee-deep in TJ's toy bin.)

Happy husband.

Marissa introduced X to something amazing: the Wii!

The day was spent leisurely, and ended by visiting Candy Cane Lane, the local neighborhood where every house was crazily decorated with lights and piped-in music and 6 to 20-feet tall inflatables.  I heard that the blocks that participated got a discount on their electricity bill... I can't even imagine!  Admittedly, I'd been a little concerned about the rabbi's-kid's-at-Christmas discrepancy, but the boys took it all in stride.  They saw no conflict at all between admiring the pretty trees and saying the hamotzi before Christmas Eve dinner.  It's just life in their world, I guess!

My evening

Before dinner: spontaneous spinning-like-dreidels with hands over their hands, turning in circles.

Xander's singing the lyrics.

 Ari's babbling along.

After dinner: fixing the space heater after a door closed on its cord and broke it in half.

Stripping the plastic jacket so as to examine the damage.

Learning about conductors inside the cord.

Soldering complete!  Spiderboy and Daddy to the rescue!

Why you can't win an argument with a four year-old

X opens the utility closet, pulls out the Swiffer, and starts squirting Swiffer liquid all over the wood floor in preparation to mop.  It's great that he wants to clean the house, but we would be happier if 1) he wasn't wasting half the liquid and 2) if he hadn't taken matters into his own hands.

J: Honey, who gave you permission to mop?

X: You did.

J: I don't remember that.  Are you sure it was me?

X: (points at me) Mommy.

J: (looks at me) Did you give him permission?

M: Noooo.

J: So if it wasn't me and wasn't Mommy, who was it?

X: Ari.

J: Ari's not a grown-up.

X: (thinking hard) Big Ari!  [the teenager who babysits him]

J: Big Ari's not here.  How did he give you permission if he's not here?

X: (huge smile)  MAGIC!

Progression of a toddler

Ari's first sentence the other day, said to his brother: "My car!"  It came out more like, "Mah cah," but we knew what he meant.  And no, it's not lost on us that his first complicated communication is one of sibling rivalry. :)

Hodgepodge

Stacey and I at religious school last week.  Former Girl Scouts/current Jewish educators unite!

 The invention that has made bedtime rituals something to look forward to instead of something to dread.  BOTH CHILDREN consistently ask to brush their teeth now, literally running to the bathroom.  It's a lightsaber toothbrush that lights up!

And just cuz I thought it was funny.  It's a strange cultural fact that lots of Jews go out to eat for Chinese on Christmas day because they're the only restaurants that are open.  Our temple is actually having a "Chinese food and a movie" program on the 25th!

The last of the Hanukkah pics

 A floating Dr. Who TARDIS!

 Xander reaching to spin the TARDIS, me in disbelief that the magnetization actually works.

Crayola window crayons are fun!

Laser glasses that came up in a light-up kit.

Shabbat morning before I go to work.  They play so nicely together now!

Last night of Hanukkah.  The menorah on the front left was made by Xander at the JCC last year; the  one in the front right, with all the colors, was a program he did at temple.  I got the idea from the candle he made Mom at Apple Hill; the art teacher got all the different colored wax beads and the kids put them in any depth and order they wanted.

Xander's big present.  We took tons of pictures and he was so focused, he never once looked up to smile!

Little brother helping out.

Hanukkah performance at school last Friday

 Waiting to go onstage.

Xander was, without a doubt, the absolute ham of his class.  The other kids just stood there quietly and sang, but Xander sang loudly, strummed his air guitar, did all the choreographed motions (mirroring the teachers opposite him), and really got into it.

 Singing into the mike.  We videotaped it, but unfortunately, it didn't come out very well.

Different angle; you can really see how he leans in.

 At the end of all the individual class songs, the entire school got on stage.

Xander leaned in to give the girl next to him a peck on the cheek.  This is the smile post-kiss. :)

Hanukkah with Mom

Ari playing Hanukkah

 Lighting the candles is great fine motor skills.

Very very focused.

Kiddos eating breakfast.

At the zoo, examining a metal piece pierced through by a tiger.

Said tiger, opening up his gift at the zoo.

Noticing us.

Happy Bubby and youngest grandson.

Every animal got their own present.  This is the "Coquerel sifaka" checking out his fruit wreath.

Later that night, playing with the laser dreidel.

It is THE hit this Hanukkah.

Xander opening up my mom and grandmother's gift.  (And yes, I am wearing a menorah hat.  It's very popular at religious school.)

The moment he realized the box was a PIRATE SHIP!

 Ari unwrapping.

 OMG they're DINOSAURS!!!

Look, Daddy, look!

 Making "meh meh" sounds, having them talk to each other.

 Xander giving Mom a candle he made for her.

 Explaining all the different color layers.

 Putting together the pirate life boat.

Ari having a ball the next night with his Elmo mailbox.