6.11 or, Cozy January

Dear Corbin,

This month, you started chess lessons, after school on Mondays.  You got interested when Mrs. Scully offered to teach kids at recess.  We had played a few times using a little chess set that Uncle Alex got many years ago.  So when the flyer came home from school, I asked if you were interested, and we signed you up.  We'll see if you like it.  I hope that you do; it's a useful game to know.

We got your report card for first semester.  You seem to be doing fine.  You measure at mid- or end-of-year on everything except subtraction facts up to 20.  Your handwriting wouldn't win any awards right now, and your spelling is atrocious, but you're doing better and better at reading.  Mrs. Scully seems to approve of your classroom behavior, which is generous of her since you're still quite squirrelly at times.  It's always good to hear that your teachers think you are doing well.

We finally got some cool weather.  You got out some fleecy, long sleeved, pajamas for yourself one night.  You've been wearing them every night since then.  They have a button up top, which is a new thing for you.  I asked you what you like so much about them, and you said they were cozier than your other pjs.  You've also been sleeping in your knitted socks from Grandma Maria.  One night you couldn't find them.  You said "I can't sleep without my socks!"

Me: The ones from Maria? You really like them, don't you?
You: They're fuzzy and comfy.
Me: You know she made those especially for you.
You: Like...with her hands?!
Me: Yep, with her own hands.

You were very impressed.  It made me laugh.

You and Dad took your telescope outside to look at the full moon this month.  It was pretty chilly.  I'd like to do some planet viewing, but it's also been pretty overcast.  Dad feels like you'll have to get out of the city to really get any good views of anything.  Hopefully, you can do some star gazing this summer.

We were supposed to go to Big Bear this month and play in the snow with the Jorgenson's, but instead, Dad had to go to China.  So that put an end to that plan.  Which was not really so terrible, since the boots that I ordered for you, and the snowpants that I ordered for Miriam, didn't fit and had to be sent back.  We'll go in February instead.

We had a visit from my Aunt Irene, Cousin Sharon and Cousin Kimberly, from Grandpa Lam's side of the family.  They came out to spend some time in the sun, and came up to see us and the new house.  Aunt Irene brought an old photograph with her, to be returned to my Uncle Lee.  We don't have an address for him, but we have an address for one of his sons.  It's a photograph from the early 1950's, maybe, when Uncle Lee was in some kind of confirmation class, we think.  It's always interesting to me to see these old photos.  Uncle Lee and Grandpa Lam looked pretty alike as children, so it's rather like looking at a picture of him, too.  Someday you'll look back at photos of us, and maybe try to figure out the dates.  Although, lucky for you, you'll have Grandma's awesome scrapbooks to help you out.  And maybe these posts, too, assuming they don't get deleted when the machines rise up to take over the earth.

Love,
Mom

3.9 or, Deck the Bells with Jingling Holly

Dear Miriam,

You've gone into full Christmas music mode.  You have always liked singing to yourself while you play, and now you sing everything to the tune of Jingle Bells or Deck the Halls.  Instead of bedtime reading you want me to sing Christmas carols to you.

You had a cold this month, with a fever and a runny nose and a terrible cough that stuck around for much longer than we thought it should.  There was one night that your breathing sounded so hoarse that I got the humidifier out.  I think it helped, but it was a rough week or so.

I asked you what Santa should bring you.  You said a dinosaur.  I said, "Another dinosaur?  Don't we have enough dinosaurs?"  You said, "We need an allosaurus."  It made me laugh.

I had thought you might want another dragon.  I fixed our Toothless toy this month.  His wings had both been broken, and even though you still played with him, I thought we all might be happier if he was whole again.  It took longer than I thought, but they turned out well, I think.

You and Corbin helped Grandma and Grandpa pick out a tree, and then decorate it.  Corbin kept trying to tell you where to hang the ornaments, and you kept hanging them wherever you felt they should go.  That's pretty much how your relationship goes, these days.  We decorated our tree in the afternoon, and then we ended up at the Jorgenson's house and decorated their tree.  It was a funny day.

Dad missed that particular fun, because he was in China.  That trip plus the lack of snow here combined to make him forget to do his Christmas shopping.  I found it very funny.  He and Corbin had to go shopping the very week of Christmas to buy us presents.  He'll have to start using Thanksgiving as his mental milepost, instead of snow.  At least one of those things still happens here.

We had to make our own fireplace so that we could hang up our stockings.  There is nothing a little imagination can't solve.

Our actual Christmas celebration was nice.  Uncle Alex and Aunt Lena and Grandma Maria came up.  Aunt Lena is quite pregnant, now.  This is the last time we'll see them before the baby is born.  We opened presents, of course.  Grandma Maria knitted everyone a pair of socks, which are warm and cozy.  You like to wear yours and then slip and slide all over the hardwood floor.  We had a nice dinner, although it was a near thing.  Grandma had bought Christmas crackers with whistles in them.  What a terrible racket they made.  You were supposed to hand them all around and whistle carols on them, but of course you and Corbin just made them shriek as loudly as you could.  So once we got rid of those things, it was a much more pleasant affair.  We did Cornish game hens, and you always like the little tiny drumsticks.

So it was a nice month, and a nice holiday, and a nice end to the year.  Our second Christmas in the Long Beach house.  We are all safe, and healthy, and together, which is all we really need.  Well, that and an allosaurus.

Love,
Mom


Re-winged Toothless:

December at the Beach!

Trimming the Jorgenson's tree:

Our "fireplace":

Christmas Day!