New Year

Well, I've had requests for an update, which is a good reminder that there are people out there reading these posts and it's worth my effort! The fall flew by, and the holidays; now it's a new year! Winter weather has been a bit disappointing for us, after hearing that it would be the snowiest winter in over 50 years we haven't had anything over an inch, or lasting more than a day. Even our trip to the snow park was delayed yesterday because of rain in the passes. As a satisfying substitute we took the boys to a local bounce and climb area that Ben calls "wowie de wowie," (for Charlie's Safari.) They both had a great time, Ben surprising us as a 2 year old, climbing and sliding with all the big kids, and Billy a kind leader coaxing him along to "save Elmo" or Cookie Monster!

Our Christmas was wonderful! The boys at this age are so joyful and enthusiastic about the whole season, it's very fun for Stu and I to share our traditions with them. The advent calendar made getting up for school a lot easier in December, and our growing collection of Christmas picture books brought many hours of reading pleasure. Ben had his first picture with Santa, opting for a seat on a rocking horse instead of Santa's lap. He was nervous to get too close, but yelled from several feet away, "I want a choo-choo train!" And we had the most perfectly pretty tree this year, that the family picked out together at a local tree stand. Ben was a big help with the decorations, and Billy made a paper chain to add color and charm.

Since they both have been such good boys, Billy and Ben got just what they asked for from Santa!! Billy even remarked on Christmas day, "I got even more than I asked for!" He wrote his letter to Santa all by himself this year, even sounding out many of the words while I was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner one evening. He had picked out a Lego set he wanted, which he spelled "Lago Scorpein." He also requested some Tootsie Pops, which he calls "big lollipops," since he compares them with the mini-size dum dums. We also enjoyed receiving cards and gifts from family and friends. Thinking that it's best to have the boys involved in the process, our thank you notes have been taking longer than may be expected. I offer a preview: thank you!!

We enjoyed celebrating the New Year at home with the kids, once at 8:00 with Ben, again at 9:00 with Billy and all of New York's Time Square, and finally just the two of us at midnight with the Seattle fire works display on TV, and a nice glass of bubbly. We were tired and went to bed immediately after! The Bitow family New Years Day feast is another fun family tradition, and Ben has surprised us with his love for strange asian foods, like pickled radish and dried and salted sour plums. Billy loves the sweet bean filled rice balls! And we all love Unlce Richard's lovingly prepared terriyaki chicken. Happy New Year!

The boys have already started planning for this Halloween!! Somehow Ben became a big fan of Yoda, and plans to be "Woda de Ween," (Yoda for Halloween.) Billy will be either Darth Vader, or a character from GI Joe called Snake Eyes. And ofcourse Billy's preparing for his 6th birthday, only four months to go! He gets along with all the kids at school, but only counts two as his friends. We may be able to get away with a party at the house this spring. One of his friends is Ben Valdes, who is the son of a couple we met in our birth preparation class before Billy was born!! They also have a 3 year old named Zack and we've been getting together weekly for playdates. Chambers Primary School in University Place has been a great fit for us. Thanks to Grandma Janis watching Ben once a week, I've been able to volunteer in Billy's classroom every Friday. I've also joined the PTA! Billy's doing great in school, and we've enjoyed seeing so much growth in skill and confidence. So much to look forward to!