I love the holidays! And I love getting Christmas cards and Christmas newsletters! I wish this was being sent through the mail to you all, but for this year this will have to do. I will start the updates with the oldest and hairiest and go from there.
Clint is crazy. Sometimes I look at him and just can't even believe it. He started his real estate and mortgage company (Vintage Lending and Realty) several years ago and is doing really well. In our family we call him the Mogul, except for that one time I mixed up my words and called him a Mongrel. Despite his success I still nag him to help more with the housework and children. He bought a pass to our local mountains for some snow boarding this winter, and loves nothing more than curling up with a space heater, some chips, and an entire season on Net Flicks. This Thanksgiving he played in the annual Turkey Bowl, and as I was walking up to the field to watch, Clint scored a touchdown. And then he threw a couple of touchdowns. My heart went pitter patter for my stud of a husband and Zachary kept saying Daddy!! Daddy!! I am so proud of you!!!
I take spot number two in terms of hair and age. I have been thinking about how I want to sum up life in 2014 and realized that for the past five years (minus one month in Jan 2012) I have either been pregnant or nursing (or both). What a blessed life! But to sum it up: I am tired.
Despite the general fatigue seems to line both my days and nights, I am happy and I feel tremendously lucky. I love going on morning jogs for Sophie's first nap (God bless the jogging stroller.) I step outside and it is like taking a bath in cool fresh air. I am starting to feel stronger and am inching my way back to long lost pieces of clothing, but really the nicest thing about my daily exercise is I have yet had to wipe a butt while doing it. I am still teaching dance courses at our local community college as an adjunct professor, and I love getting to know my students and I love being an educator. Next semester I will be teaching a couple of nights a week, which means on those nights Clint will be doing dinner/bedtime/bath solo. I bid him good luck and goodbye.
Zachary turned four this November and started going to a fine arts preschool, which means that they are essentially learning through dance, art, music and theatre. It's probably not unlike most preschools out there, but the dance curriculum is based around creative/modern dance so I felt especially excited about it. Grandma Womack went to Grandparents Day with him back in November and upon getting in the car says Welllll he definitely is a four year old boy. Followed by Annnd I don't think he is going to be your artist. So theres that. Future career aside, Zachary loves running and jumping and riding his green scooter with his green helmet. Green is his favorite color. He is enthusiastic about lots of things, and is so fun to be around. He still loves drinking milk out of a sippy cup, and putting the lid on (which is this strange ritual that we really don't understand). This is a habit as an over attentive parent I have tried to break several times. But he always wins by saying Mommy its just my favorite hing (thing). It's my favorite hing in the whole wide world. And bemember I wanna put the lid on!!! And so I give up and give in because really who cares? I figure there are worse things then being a grown boy and still drinking your milk from a sippy cup.
Baby Kate turned two in October. She is finally starting to talk, although we really never quite know what she is saying. I wouldn't say pronunciation is her strong point, but she sure is cute. She is our family DJ and is always cueing up 'Don't cha wish your boyfriend was hot like me' by the Pussycat Dolls and some other equally awful song by Chris Brown. We have lots of dance parties initiated by Kate and her signature move is called the peacock. When she runs she picks her little legs up really high and essentially runs in place. Again, not great in terms of function, but really really cute. The other day she took off with Zachary's suitcase (a beloved possession) while he was doing his business. Zachary started shrieking hysterically, trapped by the the call of mother nature, while Baby Kate looked at me with a sly smile.
What can I say about Sophie? She is a baby. She does lots of cute things like laugh at her older siblings' antics, kick her perfectly chubby legs, and smile so big her cheeks almost burst. She also does lots of annoying things like cry in her carseat, get tired and cranky multiple times a day, and in general really cannot do anything for herself. What gives?!
Like I said, she is a baby.
This year was filled with many exciting things like Sophie's birth and moving to a new home. We initially tried to sell our first home, but no one wanted to buy it because it has a small yard and no garage. Which is exactly why we wanted to sell it. What's wrong with you people?!!!
However, we were able to rent it out in a matter of minutes, so all is well. And really we are happy to hold on to it. So many memories and life happened between those walls.
This year also had its share of loss and sadness. My Mom's sweet sister Betty Whitley and prankster brother David Hair passed away within a month of one another. It was really sad and they will be so missed. Betty was loving and strong and the glue of her family. David was the brother that would stand behind my mom and make her hands make him a sandwich. Clint's uncle Larry passed away just a week ago, and leaves a legacy of ten children behind.
I have found that I as I get older I experience more joy and contentment, but am also more affected and aware of the sorrows and sadness that inevitably affect us all. For those of you with heavy hearts this season my love and heart is with you. I pray that you find eventual peace and comfort.
You know how some things just appear and you don't know who gave them to you or how they got there? Such is the story of this Christmas/lullaby CD that appeared in our house. We have been listening to it non-stop in the car and while I did yell at the man singing a painfully slow rendition of The First Noel to "SPIT it out ALREADY!!!!" and Zachary thinks the boy drummer song that says rump pa pa pumb is basically the same thing as saying poopy poop poop diaper face and each time produces fits of laughter, I have really been touched with songs about the birth of Christ and have loved basking in the spirit and hope of the season.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller,The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday and hope that 2015 brings us all peace and good times.
With love,
Erica Clint Zachary Kate and Sophie Womack
