A New Year

I can't believe that it's 2010; I remember thinking (when I was of the ripe ol' age of 13) that the year 2000 seemed sooooooooo far away, and when we got to Y2K, I'd be sooooooooooooo old. Things look different when you're on the other side of Y2K by a decade.

But, this isn't a nostalgic blog post. Yes, 2009 was great. Yes, we finally got to meet our daughter. And even though I value reflection, if the ringing in of 2010 has taught me anything, it's that time is fleeting. So, get a move on.

First off, don't forget to check out my new blog, which launched today. Fun and free stuff! Link to the right: Get Real Family.

On a housekeeping note, I should recount a few stories from over the holidays; these stories are more for me (and my record keeping) than for you, but hey, if you're here, and you're reading this, and you've already made it this far, you might as well keep reading.

1. Grant continues to be so easy in some ways. I remember at about 22 months when we moved him out of his crib--straight to a twin bed. No issues. Pacifiers? The pacifier fairy came one night... no issues. Potty training (I shouldn't admit this out loud, I know) took two days at 27 months. Easy. And now, we just took his guard off his bed, and he fell out once the first night... and, you guessed it, hasn't since. Easy. There is a terrible karma that happens to parents when they say these type of things out loud; the next kid will be a royal terror to transition.

2. One of my favorite things Grant said this Christmas involved music and his cousin Mary. Mary, a good 12 years Grant's senior, was trying to introduce Grant to rap music through the song "I'm so hood," which Grant sang at high volume. But, then, being the good student of music that Grant is, Grant asked Mary if she had any "folk music." We didn't know that he knew what "folk music" was, but hey, the kid knows that anything folk has got to be better than anything with the lyrics "I'm so hood."

3. Presents. Let's just use one word: ridiculous. The spoiling of these children is out of control. For future reference, in lieu of presents, please make checks payable to Grant and Grace's college funds. I'm just kidding. Kind of.

3a: Presents continued. Grant couldn't tell you his favorite present if he tried. He received sooooooooo many toys, and with his birthday a mere 13 days away, we're pretty sure we might as well convert our dining room into a playland, giving up any hope that our house isn't outright owned by Fisher Price. Grace, who received many, many toys as well, was far more interested in the candy and the two dollar microphone in her stocking than much else.

3b: Presents continued. No, really. Consider the college fund.

Here are a few pictures of Grant and Grace... to finish out 2009.