In lieu of sending out hard-copy cards, or posting an update to Facebook or similar social networking site, here is my recap of the year for inclusion in an ecard.
Most notably, 2011 welcomed a new addition to the family. Kate Clara Collins was born on February 22, in the midst of deep winter snow. With a middle name chosen to honor Kelly's maternal grandmother, Clara Drouillard, Kate's arrival was perfectly timed, with the mothers of both Kelly and I in Ann Arbor, and, except for Kelly, was the first daughter born to either immediate family in more than 40 years.
She is an incredibly vibrant baby, quick to smile, and has rapidly developed - she was eager to crawl and stand up. Thankfully, Kate enjoys sleeping and eating and has grown dramatically, to the 95th percentile in height! As I write, she is crawling freely and propping herself up on sofas; she is not far from being able to walk.
Jack has reached an age - 3.5 - where he is (mostly) a delight to behold. Naturally inquisitive, with a keen memory, his frequent questions make perfect sense and he loves to receive, and retell, stories (especially Tiddles the Naughty Cat). In the last 12 months, he has engaged in pursuits ranging from soccer and music time to gymnastics, and golf.
Milestones have included starting pre-school (two mornings a week), giving up the pacifier for nighttime sleeping, and generally wanting to do everything himself. Of course, he can shout, scream, and slap like a roller-derby queen, but those occurences are relatively few and far between! He has certainly taken to Kate, playing on the floor with her, kissing her goodnight, and soothing her with songs ("Open them, shut them, give a little clap").
Through all of this, Kelly continues to be an incredibly patient, diligent, and creative mother, providing both kids with endless opportunities to interact with other children, participate in learning activities, and assume new responsibilities. She also manages the household with a commitment to detail that would make an accountant blush.
Our family was fortunate enough to spend a couple of weeks in England this summer, making for a more relaxed trip than the typical 7-day sojourn can offer. Even the British weather cooperated, offering relatively few days of rain. Next year, our goal is to take more family vacations with just the four of us, something that we didnt accomplish this year.
Life in Ann Arbor is really good. We added a deck to the back of the house - a process that seemed endless, given the extensive late summer rain, which, coincidentally, caused our basement to be flooded. That nightmare required new walls and carpet. At times, we had 2-3 groups of construction people wandering around our house, with no process for checking IDs or stamping time cards! Generally, though, all of the contracters were excellent and we are very happy both with the renovated basement and the expanded deck.
When not working on house projects, we went to Art Fair in the summer, have watched the USA National Junior ice hockey at the Cube, been to Hudson Mills park for fireworks, hayrides, and crafts, enjoyed breakfasts at Barry Bagels, and swims at the YMCA. A hectic life indeed.
We will spend the holidays here in Michigan, hopefully take a trip to Arlington/Richmond in January to see friends, and be in England in February.
All the best to everyone for a happy holiday and exciting new year!
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