2016

I finally sat down and made a little newsletter. I had hoped this year would be the year where I would mail real Christmas cards out, but it was not to be.

So, you get this instead!

A few things I left off:

• my proudest accomplishment was actually throwing 2 birthday parties the same day for the same boy. With 2 separate cakes and 2 entirely different party plans (thanks to different kids with different personalities). 
• I was going through my mind a bit of what we miss most and least about Ann Arbor, and I decided that what I missed least was potlucks. It has been so nice not having to go to parties and think of something to feed other people! (Am I unique in this? I don't mind cooking for other people, but I prefer assignments.) 
• Mice and chipmunks didn't deserve a place on my newsletter. In happy news, when we came back last night from 2 weeks in Utah there were no dead mice in the house. And the traps hadn't moved, either, like they would have if mice had gotten on and then off. So maybe they're all gone.
• I didn't talk much about our trips to Utah or visits from family. That's what this blog is for!

Overall, it's been a great year. We had some disappointments, some surprises, and some losses (most notably my grandpa), but life is so so so good and we are so blessed.

And we're looking forward to 2017!

Matthew's Favorite Word

Matthew is so fun! He likes to point out eyes, hair, shoes, socks, and noses. He recognizes dogs in books. He loves balls.

But most of all, he loves . . .

I came back one day to find these boys watching Mater's Tall Tales, and obviously there were some elements Matthew liked a lot.

Yup. We've got a car lover. The other day he woke up from a nap totally inconsolable. A banana helped, but what really saved the day was hearing that Joseph was watching "Cars." He began making the sign for "car" and said it all the way down the stairs.

During prayers, if he doesn't interrupt by saying "Amen!" periodically throughout the prayer, he usually blurts out "car" a couple of times. If I ask, "Can you say," planning to have him say another word, he usually responds, "Car! Car! Car!"

It's mostly cute. It's been increasing for the past 5-6 months (remember his car birthday?) so I would be lying if I said it wasn't a bit tiresome. But it's mostly cute.

And, it adds for a little variety. I mean, Joseph pointed out every single Christmas light on the drive tonight. Matthew pointed out every car. Couldn't have both kids appreciating the same things, right?

(I am halfway tempted to end by writing the word car 500 times to symbolize what we hear over a 3 day period. But I will forbear.)

Going Live

Do you like seeing yourself on film?

I never really have. It's awkward, it's embarrassing, and it's more eye-opening than I really care for. Do I really look like that? Do I really move like that? Do I really lisp like that? And everyone but me has to deal with that all the time??? Haha!

But as much as I feel funny about videos of myself, I feel equally energized by playing the piano for people. So I decided to jump on the Facebook Live bandwagon and make some Christmas movies.

I chose to do it at my in-laws house because I was pretty sure they would have a better connection than at our place in New Haven (the upload speed in Northwood probably ranks in the top 5 things I miss about Ann Arbor). They were good sports about me taking over the piano when I sort of threw the news on them (and of course, the short notice came back to surprise me when I learned lots of people were coming that morning!). Kevin and I figured out a way to prop up my phone, and then I took a deep breath and decided to go live!

There were some terrifying parts. Facebook would tell me who was watching, and I would panic as some names floated by. "Wait, he's watching? She's watching???? They know a lot about music! They know how things are supposed to sound! Yikes!" I would also panic a little as I waited for the next comment to tell me what to do. I hadn't thought of any filler things to say, so it was excruciating to wait.

Of course, the real terror came when the song and composer suggestions came. Sometimes a name would come up where I only vaguely knew any pieces by the composer (such as Erik Satie or Leonard Cohen). And, if I were a "real" pianist, I would know how to just plain play in the style of a composer without racking my brain for a piece of theirs that I know how to play to mash with the Christmas song. But I'm not, so I would have to hurry and think if I knew any pieces that would remotely work with the song. And you can't keep people waiting on Facebook Live!

But despite the terror and the total feelings of inadequacy, it was really, really fun, especially on those occasional moments where things just clicked. I was so grateful to everyone who was so supportive.

After about 15 minutes, I decided that it was time to stop hogging the piano, so I wrapped it up.




And that's when I discovered that the whole thing had been filmed sideways. Oops!

And that's also when I discovered some comments that I had missed, so I decided there was nothing to do but to try again the next day.



It's a unique experience playing impromptu music like this. There are a lot of things to keep track of -- the melody of the original song you're playing, the key you're in, the style you're trying to keep, etc. There were several songs where I lost one or more of those components, and I had to just keep playing until I got back to somewhere recognizable.

As I rewatched both, I thought, "Ack" over some parts (mostly about my physical appearance), "Oof" about my goofs, and "Oh well" for the mistakes in both appearance and performance that I didn't have control over.

But people are forgiving. And impromptu playing is forgiving, too -- no one really expects perfection when you are flying by the seat of your pants. It's just a fun adventure we all get to share together.

Although . . . I think it would be more fair if the people making suggestions had to be on the camera too. :)

(one last thing . . . I still think it's funny people wanted me to play in the style of Piano Guys. Can't do that without a cello!)

Thanksgiving in New Haven

Last year, we decided to go to Alabama to have Thanksgiving with the Paulsons. We had a good time, so we decided to repeat last year's success and have it with them again, except this time they would visit us!

Granted, the drive from New Jersey to Connecticut is less harrowing than the drive from Michigan to the very very bottom of Alabama. But it's no cakewalk either, so we were glad they were brave enough to make the trek!

Here are some highlights.

• Not driving on I-95 the day before Thanksgiving. Or any road anywhere near I-95. They eventually made it though!
• Not setting the house on fire after leaving the range fan on probably a little longer than we should have. (I don't think it was anywhere near fire stage, but it was smelling a little funny.)
• Seeing cousins play and dance together.



Actually I think they were watching Tarzan right then. I wasn't the best at taking pictures, to be honest.

• Playing Codenames, even if it went really badly.
• Not peeling the potatoes, even though I was afraid everyone would judge us for leaving the peels in the mashed potatoes.
• Using uneaten bread crusts to make stuffing. Turns out picky kids help you save money! (And the germs got cooked away, of course.)
• Making a pretty good pumpkin pie. Not that pumpkin pie is that good to start with, but at least it wasn't gross.
• Getting so much quality time from little 1-year-olds who never ever ever wanted to nap the day of Thanksgiving. Either of them.
• Being reintroduced to real hairdos and foundation by my beautiful sister. I think she inherited a few genes there that I didn't.
• Eating Thanksgiving food!!!
• Meeting lots of people from different countries. 
• Eating turkey cooked by a really good cook. 
• Not telling people that the Paulsons were actually siblings of the Palssons (since that would have been lying), but a few people assuming that anyway even without knowing their last name.
• Thoroughly enjoying my first plate of Thanksgiving food.
• Somewhat enjoying what I could eat of my second helping.
• Enjoying the two slivers of pie I managed to barely fit in.
• Having room in my tummy an hour later to enjoy pie at a different pie party.
• Singing songs from the Reader's Digest Christmas songbook, including the never-before-sung "The Boy Who Santa Claus Forgot." Talk about a tear jerker.
• Singing with opera singers. (And Matthew.)
  
• Watching Derek read a cookbook the night after Thanksgiving. Howwwww did anything sound good???

  

  
  

• Walking around the prettier parts of New Haven to get to the art museum.

  

  Here's the Yale it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail when I come I want to wail YAAAAAAAAALE! #bluesclues

• Not breaking a stroller on the teeny tiny elevator at the museum.
• Being outnumbered by security guards at the museum.
• Being followed around by grumpy security guards at the museum from room to room.
• Appreciating that security guards are the same everywhere across the world and cannot handle any part of a toddler touching the ground other than the toddler's shoes. (No sitting on the ground, for example.)

  

  For example, right after this picture, K. happened to sit down for two seconds, and the security guard was immediately motioning for her to stand up again. Because . . . slivers. On her pants. I guess.

• Seeing art at the museum. Actually I think I was so preoccupied with the security guards I don't even remember much art beyond the armless Greek statue women. Ha! (Wait. There was Monet and Degas too.)
• Not being in the museum anymore so we could eat.

  

  
  

• Eating tacos.
• Playing.

  

  
  

• Eating Kevin's birthday cheesecake because somehow nobody felt like they got enough pie the day before. (Everyone was too full to eat much pie, but still.) We broke one of our cardinal rules and shared it with the Paulsons. Derek got the most interesting bites.

  

  Say what you want about the photography skills, it tasted really good.

• Dominating Dominion.

 

He wanted to watch us play, but I think it got a little boring.

• 
  

  

  not too shabby

• Only having to listen to snippets of Gilmore Girls.
• Making the top 3 favorite people list for my niece K., which meant that I got to hold her sometimes. (Yay!)

  

  
  

• Eating New Haven pizza for lunch on Saturday because you only live once, especially when you're eating a lot of pies and cheesecakes and tacos and pizzas.
• Eating apples to balance the junk food out.

  

  
  

• Almost seeing Michigan beat Ohio State after the Paulsons left.

The Ohio State and Michigan robots.

Overall, it was a fun, laid back weekend with family and we are so grateful we got to see them!

Nightly Exchanges

One night I went to bed while Kevin was up working. When he came in, I asked angrily, "Are you done playing Settlers now?"

I have no memory of this.

Nor does he have a memory of what happened the next night. At about 12:45, he got up in bed, crouched down, and began tapping vigorously on my shoulder. "Hey hey hey hey," he said in a strange voice. "Kyra. China. Was I different in China?"

"I don't know," I replied crossly. Then he slumped back down and went to sleep. Luckily, I was able to fall back asleep quickly, too.

It is great to be able to have conversations with the one you love at all hours of the day, even if only half actually remembers the conversation (and is slightly freaked out by it).

Secrets

This afternoon, after Joseph used the bathroom, he came up to me.

"I want to tell you a secret." He then whispered in my ear, "I used soap."

I nodded with approval. Kevin asked if he could hear the secret too, so Joseph decided to whisper it to him, too.

Then I thought for a second. "Do you normally use soap?" I asked.

"Yes. I just don't want to tell you about it every time I do it."

Phew.

I guess we've sort of got an atmosphere of secrets around here. Christmas time is always like that, and this year Kevin's birthday had more secrets than usual.

I had decided to throw a surprise breakfast birthday party for him in honor of the big 3-0, and it involved a lot more secrets than I was used to.

"Kevin, with your birthday coming up, make sure you don't accidentally look at my email, okay? I'm coordinating with my mom a bit." I mean, I guess that was true, but in the end all he got was a phone case. What was really being protected was all the emails from guys in the ward.

"Why do you want to go shopping on my birthday? Is there something going on Saturday?" he asked once, his eyes narrowing.
"I want you to have Snickers for your birthday, and I may as well get other stuff while I'm out." I did get Snickers, but I also got supplies for his party.

Of course, I had to have reasons for those supplies.
"Did you mean to buy so many eggs?" he asked.
"I'm hoping we don't have to go shopping before our trip to Utah, so I got a lot."

"Why are you asking so many questions about what to make for breakfast Saturday?"
"I just want to make you something you'll really like."

"Why is there so much apple juice?"
"I really really like apple juice right now."

"Why are you vacuuming right now?"
"It has just been so cluttered all week and I want things totally clean for once."

"What are you looking for in the freezer?"
"Peas to cook with the hashbrowns. I can't find them." I eventually did find the secret stash of bacon though.

I had prepared an answer for all of his questions, but I still felt like the spider Joseph brought home from preschool on Thursday. He had had a lesson on honesty, and he had made a paper plate with yarn weaved all across it to look like a web, and in the middle was a spider. "Don't get caught in a web of lies!" it read on the spider. Good thing Joseph had other sources to learn honesty from this week besides me, I guess.

But finally this morning the secrets would be over. After a lackluster birthday for Kevin (I was gone for a Relief Society activity, for example), I was finally going to make his birthday feel special. A few minutes before 8, we heard the doorbell.

I answered it and there was one of Kevin's friends. Kevin looked at him in bewilderment.

"Surprise! You're having a birthday party right now! He's here to play games with you and eat breakfast." Kevin began to laugh. "Okay."

More people began to show up, and before too long there was Lord of the Rings risk in the living room and Dominion in the kitchen. They paused for some food and then kept playing til almost 11.

First time planning an Elders Quorum Activity was a success

He took the game very seriously.

After they left, Kevin turned to me with understanding.
"So that's why you put on jeans this morning."
"That's why you bought all the apple juice and eggs."
"That explains all the cleaning last night."
"That explains why I couldn't look at your email."

I explained that I had originally planned to have the party on his birthday at like 6 in the morning, and maybe arranging things so that he had to drive kids to seminary. Then he'd come back to a bunch of guys there to celebrate. But no one was keen on that idea, so we went for a Saturday party instead. 8 am was still pretty early for a party, but at least he wouldn't have all day to be suspicious.

"I had considered having you run to the store to get some orange juice or something so you'd be surprised when you got back, but I guess it sort of worked for you to just be surprised when the doorbell rang." He agreed.

All that had been secret had finally been revealed. The web of secrets and deception was finally dissolved.

Well, I guess there's still Christmas. And every time Joseph uses soap.