New Year

Cute little hands

1st shower experience

My little pouch.

Christmas card picture

cutting down our tree

One of my New Years resolutions is to be a better mom, i.e. not just co-existing with them during the day but getting on the floor with them and playing, sitting next to them while they are doing their homework, giving them a piano lesson as if they are actually one of my students. Things like that. I also don't want to yell. I know this may come as a surprise to those of you who think I am so calm and relaxed. I usually am until I explode! We all have a breaking point, right? My big fear is that I will raise children who think their Mom is crazy because one minute she is fine and the next she's yelling over something really dumb and making her kids feel stupid. I am trying hard and I know I could make up all kinds of reasons as to why I am this way, but that unfortunately is the "natural" man inside me that I need to kick out. I love my kids and I so want them to have on the armor of God and to know that their parents love them. I love making memories with them and I hope that as I write on the blog and in my journal, that they will someday read it and know already due to these great memories that I love them and their Dad.

Enough introspection...I mostly just wanted to post some pictures, even though I don't have any from Christmas. Since I juggle four kids a lot and sometimes alone, I just can't even think of getting out my camera to take pictures. One fun experience the kids and I had recently was going sailing with my Dad. I think my Mom has pictures on her blog of it. I went twice that day. Once with my mom and Else and Haans and the other time with Marnie and her girls. It was sort of terrifying, but awesome at the same time as we were leaning so far over in the boat that my hair could have touched the water if I'd leaned over more myself. I loved it and want to do it again, but this time without my newborn strapped to me and trying to hold on to my three year old. I don't know how Marnie did it without a Snugli. She held Ginger the whole time. The sunset was so amazing that evening with the bright orange clouds hanging over the Channel Islands. So thanks for taking us Dad. That's a memory I hope to have for a long time.