White Christmas 2008

Our little house in the snow.
In the last 100 years, Portland, Oregon has had only 13 white Christmases. 2008 made 14.

Our little house in the fall

We almost got arrested, for carrying THESE guns....!

Dragon Tats for the swim meet - Go fierce and mighty DRAGONS!!

Forest Grove Christmas Parade

The event of the season!

Tucker and Daddy....

Friends we saw....

Christmas floats......

Waiting for the parade to start...

Baby boy

We *heart* Tucker! He is a great addition to our family, and not only in just balancing the estrogen. Tucker finds joy in:

• Daddy
• The cat (diddy)
  
• The remote
• Sitting in the dishwasher
• Mama
  
• His farts
• The "Tucker" song - which is, of course, his favorite
  
• His nutty sisters who make him belly laugh.

How he takes after the girls, however, is a little disconcerting. He has Emma's energy, enthusiasm and reckless abandon for all things silly (especially if they are also a little naughty). He has Audrey's sweet, loving nature and her propensity for selective listening and her stubborn streak. He is busy, and he is TROUBLE!

With Tucker's food allergies, the new game at the Calouri house is 'What can't Tucker eat when he grows up." So far the saddest additions to the list are:

• Ice cream
  
• cookies
• Cheesecake
• Pie - this was my addition because I love pie
• Cheddar
• Mom's homemade Rustic bread - Really sad!
  

25 vs 35

I was 25 when Emma was born. Younger, less wise, poorly focused. For me, having children changed my life from the insignificant one I was leading, to the purposeful one I've now built. My decisions have gravity behind them, and the incredible and burdensome responsibility I have, gives me that age old reason to get out of bed, reason to put on the pot of coffee, and reason to plug along, even when it is hard. My generation needs those reasons, otherwise it is too easy to focus on what is wrong and sad and stressful. These reasons are a comfort because they define my importance in a world where it is easy to feel insignificant.

I'm turning 35 in 2009 and here are some things I have learned:

• A happy Mama = a happy family (an unhappy Mama = an unhappy family)
• The following words never lose their wit - butt, fart, poop, pee....
• Belly laughs are the sweetest sound on earth
• Work is not considered an interesting topic of conversation
  
• Kids who don't have to be hosed down at the end of the day, aren't playing hard enough
  
• My greatest assets are my family and my friends.
• Most anything that occurs during the day, no matter how horrid, can be redeemed with a glass of wine and an "I love you Mama!"

Things I still struggle with:

• Yelling when I've had enough
• Trying to outwit my girls, who I believe, are smarter than I am
• The monotony of being home and the frustration that comes when you realize you've washed the same plate 3x in one day
• A husband who works nights and therefore resembles a Zombie when not sleeping (I have a secret fear of Zombies)
• I still wake up Tucker when I have insomnia and snuggle him in the early hours of the morning.....