Annual Resolutions

In 2008, I listed what I wanted to accomplish (or work toward). Rather than making a list of resolutions that would have me worn out and hard on myself within the first month, I spread my to-do list over the year. Overall, I feel good about the things that have been accomplished, and although some are still works in-progress, I feel like we've gotten a lot done. I managed to get our weekdays more structured, and I made time to nurture myself. The house-projects WE got done include painting the little boys' room, painting and decorating Maddie's room, building and maintaining a garden, getting control of the kids toys and clothes, and purging my clothes racks.On July 1, 2002, I made a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime. Each year I make it a goal to check off at least one from the list. Some years I've struggled to check off one or two, but this year I was lucky enough to get to check several goals:

#9 - See Greece (Aug. 2009)#16 - Go on an annual vacation to see palm trees (Jun. 2009)
#22 - Take cooking classes (2000, 2004, Aug. 2009) #24 - Write a book (published my 2008 Blog as a book, Jan. 2009)
#36 - Learn to tango (We aren't great, but we did learn... Mar. 2009)
#67 - Have a vegetable garden (2009) #76 - Spend 2 weeks on the Mediterranean coast (Aug. 2009)

Going through the list brings back many fond memories since I date each one as I check it off. Some I won't get to for a long time, but others are doable when I am ready to commit. Next year, I thought I'd aim to check some or all of these:

#11 - Garden often
#25 - Play frisbee with a dog
#45 - Make spaghetti sauce from my garden
#68 - Have a cozy porch (I meant to do this in 2009, but ...)
#82 - Tour California's wine country (scheduled for April)

I am already sorting projects out in my head, but I haven't committed them to paper yet since I'm still trying to decide which are really my priorities. Some that I know will make the cut are making time for my scrapbooking, reorganizing the office, and organizing and rearranging our bedroom to make it a sanctuary instead of the room where we dump the messes we are trying to hide from visitors. I also plan to have another year-long project that keeps me creative. In 2009, I did the Project 365, taking photos each day. I learned to use my cameras better and I (almost) have a complete scrapbook of just everyday things and events in our life. (Note: I continued the project even though I did not complete the digital Project 365 Blog. The photos were eating up my blog space...) For 2010, Allen and I are working on a reading project. Right now we are finalizing our list which I will post soon!

Christmas Blessings to You

I am not one to write a Christmas letter. In fact, I don't write letters at all anymore, and that is a bit sad. I remember how much I enjoyed pulling cards out at Thanksgiving and writing personal notes to each of my friends before I mailed them my greetings. Now, I start my address list at Thanksgiving, have the cards printed by the end of December's first week, have stamps within the same few days, but never have the time (quiet time) to get the letters written. So, I hastily stuff the envelopes, address and stamp them and get them on the way. Someday, I hope to get back to writing the letters, but it may be after the kids are in college. I always enjoy reading other peoples' Christmas letters -- the ones that catch you up on everything that is going on, and somehow fits a year of family events on one page, so I thought maybe I'd draft mine here:

Dear Friends and Family,

What an eventful year we've had! It's been one that I felt constantly busy, but I'll have a tough time telling you what actually happened. It seems that chasing around three two-year-olds and a five-year-old takes its toll on the body and mind.

The year started as it always does -- with January 1st. With the new year came a long to-do list that I decided would be my resolutions spread throughout the year. Mostly, I feel we accomplished what we meant to do. In January, Will still enjoyed pre-K, and two of the triplets were enrolled in the mothers-day-out program one day a week. Each Thursday, I would spend one-on-one time with just one toddler. Two Wednesdays a month Ben, Jon, and Maddie were at Mothers-day-out while Will and I spent the day together. I truly treasured the time I spent with each of my children uninterrupted.

With February came a Valentine's wedding for Allen's brother. It was our first trip with Ben, Maddie, and Jon that was not to a grandparents' home, and our first time with them in a hotel, and our first time sleeping in the same room as all the kids. We all had a great time visiting with family, and overall, the trip was successful. (Especially since I had a good reason to get a great pair of shoes.)

In June, we went on our first real vacation with all the kids, and we were lucky that Sarah's parents joined us to help keep eyes on the little ones. We drove to Corpus Christi and the kids loved the beach -- another first for them. A few times this summer, we took the kids to pick blueberries and everyone had so much fun that we plan to make it an annual event.

Allen and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary in September, but the party started early when we travelled to Greece and Turkey for two weeks in August. The kids stayed with grandparents while we toured Athens and Delphi, then cruised the Greek Islands, Ephesus, and Istanbul. It was truly a dream-come-true that already seems like a lifetime ago. As soon as we got home, Will started kindergarten.

This fall two of the triplets continued to go to Mothers Day Out weekly while I spent the day with the third. I continued taking all three to MDO two Wednesdays a month and Allen convinced me to spend those two days doing whatever I wanted. A few of the days were used to paint and wallpaper big-kid rooms for Maddie, Ben and Jon, who turned three in October. Will just turned six and has been reading avidly since this summer. He has also enjoyed taking karate classes a few nights a week.

We spent Thanksgiving with Allen's parents, grandmother, brother and sis-in-law. You know the song, "In a cabin, in the woods,..." That's where we went. It was refreshing and enjoyable to spend time outside enjoying fall with family, and since there were eleven of us sharing three bedrooms and a bathroom, we got to call it an "adventure!"

It took a bit more time for me to get in a Christmassy mood. I think it had something to do with the 80-degree temperatures we hit in December. It's hard to think about the North Pole while you're digging all the summer clothes out again. Once Will got out of school, the Christmas fun began with a trip to see Nana and Papa, then another to see Gramma and Granddad. I remember as a kid losing track of the days when we had long breaks, and that's what's happened to me the last two weeks.

Our year has gone by quickly, though many days seemed like they would never end. We have been blessed beyond measure with the time we've spent with our families, the joy we've found with each other, and the health and well-being of the kids. Our family wishes all our friends and family a prosperous new year filled with many, many blessings! Thank you for keeping up with us.

Love, The Kaiser Family

Joy to Our World

We had a wonderful Christmas day. It was definitely full of the joy, hope, and love we wish for loved ones at Christmastime! Will had gotten up several times during the night and Allen found him standing in the middle of the living room with his mouth open in awe at the sight Santa left behind. I know of at least twice he was sent back to bed, then Allen and I were up to make breakfast. I felt a little guilty being up before the kids since it seems like parents being awake already takes a little of the magic out of the childhood Christmas morn. Regardless, we had early work to do so we could relax the rest of the day. In the end, it was just fine, we just hid until the kids each discovered the piles of gifts. And they were still thrilled to tell us all about it! We let the kids open their stockings and Santa gifts while our cinnamon monkey bread was baking. Will found a toy motorcycle in his stocking, but as soon as he unwrapped the Playmobil dragon he exclaimed it was the best Christmas ever and he already had everything he ever wanted (the motorcycle and the dragon.) Maddie was really excited about her Disney Princess tea set, Jon liked his police-car GeoTrax vehicle, and Ben's reaction to opening the remote-controlled Mater truck was priceless: "I got Mater! I got Mater! I got Mater! I got Mater! I got Mater! I got Mater!" After breakfast, we opened more gifts and the kids did really well. Yes, it did get chaotic at times, but the kids knew to hold the gift and smile for a picture then to pick up all the trash before the next gift was to be opened. Ben was extraordinarily sweet saying, "Thank you," after opening each gift and rushing around to pick up everyone's trash with a smile. Nana and Papa arrived just before lunch, so there was another round of opening just before we sat to eat.

Lunch was our main meal, I suppose. We had a big breakfast, so I didn't want to rush into a ton more food, but I still managed to overeat. We had delicious ham and corn chowder with salad and freshly baked whole wheat bread. Dessert was apple pie a la mode, but Maddie and Ben asked to be excused to go nap before we served it. Surprisingly, they both went straight to bed on their own while we continued to dine. While the kids napped, Allen and Randy assembled three big-wheels and a big-kid bike so that after nap time we could all go for a ride (or walk).

After our ham-sandwich dinner, Randy and Shelley headed home and Allen and I tucked the kids in, worn out after such an exciting day. As I kissed each one good-night, I asked the kids what their favorite gifts were. When I asked Ben what his favorite part of the day was, he told me the presents. When I asked which presents, he answered, "The presents that were for ME!" At the end of the day, the little kids' favorites were the bikes and the calculators (so they may be a bit nerdy like their parents, so be it.)

Once Upon a Christmas Eve

I got an awesome gift on Christmas Eve that no one was able to wrap: I got to visit with some dear friends. Chrissy, one of great friends from high school, moved to Waco this summer. Although we kept trying to get together, the schedules never lined up. We promised to make it work before Christmas, and there is nothing quite like procrastination, right? Christmas Eve morning, mom bathed and dressed my kids (I guess I really was on vacation, huh?) while I packed as much as I could. We drove across town to meet Chrissy and her two kiddos. To make things even better? Jamie, another dear friend from that time in our lives (who now lives in Manhattan,) was visiting her family in Austin, but she drove to Waco to see us, too. (L-R: Sarah, Chrissy, Jamie)As much fun as we can have with three old friends, we spent a lot of time and energy counting and making sure we knew what the half dozen kids were doing. We had a wonderful time catching up, but we are all looking forward to getting together in April at the wedding of another friend and without distractions of little kids. I think the only time all six kids were in the same room at the same time was at lunch and for this miraculous photo.

I never thought that singing "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas," would work its magic now that we live in East Texas where snow is quite rare. As soon as we left Chrissy's, Will told me it was snowing. Although we could barely see it at the time, it was, indeed, snowing, and the few flurries quickly picked up the pace and put us in a Central Texas blizzard that followed us all the way home. The snow didn't stick where we live, but the kids go to enjoy the excitement for a bit. We got home in time to eat dinner, get Santa's cookies and Rudolph's carrots ready, and get the kids into warm beds for the night. Allen started the Christmas soup while I wrapped a few more gifts.

A Little Piscator

The kids and I headed to my parents' for a few days. On the way I was entertained by Christmas carols being belted out the radio by Burl Ives, Andy Williams, and other classics. I was also humored by even more of the kids' interpretations of what I always considered normal carols. Maddie can sure sing, and among her holiday favorites is "We wlish you a Merly Chrlistmas! We wlish you a Merly Chrlistmas! We WLISH you a Merly Chrlistmas and a happy newwwwwwwwwwwwww YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!" She has a way of rolling her Rs and Ws and other random letters that just makes everything sound a bit charming. Ben's current song is "Bingle Jells! Bingle Jells! Bingle ahh de'wayyy!" and I still can't hear Good King Wencelas without laughing about Jon's interpretation (see blog entry from a few days ago). Will is just impressing me with the fact that he can remember so many different lyrics since it doesn't seem like it was that long ago that he was just trying to hum to the tunes.

Today the weather was warm enough to play outside, and this afternoon, I peeked out the window and saw my dad teaching Jon to fish. It turns out my youngest child is quite the angler. Here is a video of Jon, age 3, catching a fish with a bit of guidance from Granddad.

Jon was very focused on the process and not afraid to touch the fish. Once he figured it out he just kept them coming. He caught total of eight sunfish and, as you can see, was quite proud of himself.The other kids wanted to try after they saw how easy Jon made it look. Ben was not interested in standing still and waiting for the nibbles, so it didn't bother him that he didn't catch any. Will caught two, and Maddie almost caught two. The second fish that Maddie pulled out of the water splashed and startled her. She responded by throwing the pole at the fish and running away squealing like, well... a girl. Gramma extracted the pole from the lake with the fish still attached, but Maddie was not at all interested in having her picture taken anywhere near the fish. Before that incident, Dad spent plenty of time informing the kids they shouldn't let the pole get in the water. After it was thrown in, Mom and I just couldn't quit laughing. I think Dad forgave his sweet granddaughter, but it may be awhile till she gets another chance to fish with his good pole. On the other hand, she told us fish were "yucky and wet" so she may not care to go near one with a five foot pole anyway.

Our weekend adventure

Will got out of school for the Christmas break. We hadn't been to either of our parents' homes since school started, so we hit the road for the weekend, and headed toward Allen's parents home first. We arrived after driving for two and a half VERY LOUD hours in the car. Something upset Jon at the beginning of the trip so he cried almost the entire way. We were thankful to have arrived safely, even more thankful to get the kids in bed for the night and enjoy a bit of silence.

Saturday, the adventure began. Papa and Nana, Uncle Jason and Aunt Jenn, and the six of us spent the day together. We told the kids the day would be an adventure, and it started at the church community breakfast where they did what they do best: eat and charm the others. We then headed south and caught the train to the Dallas World Aquarium. Our family waited in the bitter wind, anxious for the train to arrive. Once we were seated the kids were thrilled to be on the train, especially when it went into a dark tunnel. Ben is still talking about that a few days later. We all found the variety of wildlife at the aquarium entertaining and educational. It wasn't all fish; there was a jungle terrarium full of plants, birds, monkeys, and other wildlife, too.

After lunch we got back on the train and had a quick stop on the way "home." One of the office/shopping plazas has windows full of prisms, and we took a little detour so the kids could dance in the rainbows.

That evening when we finally got the kids to sleep, Randy and Allen enjoyed the Cowboys game while Shelley and I watched Julie and Julia -- and, yes, I savored that movie!

Sunday, Allen had to work remotely, while Randy, Shelley, and I took the kids to church. None of us knew the surprise that would greet us at the end of the service, but the kids were sure excited. Unfortunately, I overheard Will asking Santa for a real motorcycle, and Santa gave me the "look" that meant "that's isn't something my elves make." Hopefully, Will will have fun with whatever Santa decides to bring. The best part? I heard what the little ones wanted; each declared they wanted "Presents! Presents with wrappy paper. Presents for ME!" Now, THAT we can handle! (below: Jon, Maddie, Ben)

The Halls are Decked... Fa La La La La

We've put up as many decorations as we plan to this year. In my mind's eye it seemed like it could be fun to get all the decorations out and decorate with the help of a 6-year old and three 3-year olds. Now, I think I understand why so many people go crazy this time of year. I'm calling it quits on decor even though it isn't all done. We put up the little tree again this year -- really high UP, with the hopes that St. Nick may move it down for gifts on Christmas Eve. Until then, we plan to keep it out of reach of thirty to forty little fingers that like taking things apart and hiding them. Maybe next year, the big tree will come out of the attic.... maybe...
Hallway:

Living room:

Kitchen:

The cards have been sent. The cookies baked. The last of the parties are this week. School finishes up this week and then the holidays officially begin. Now I just need to make time (or find it) to get the gifts for the kids wrapped.