Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Imagine schools without buses
Column originally published Jan. 31, 2012.
What if we didn't have school buses?
What if students got to school by whatever means possible —foot, bicycle, roller skates, a ride from a parent or neighbor? What if a sixth-grade class couldn't take a field trip to a museum without a bunch of parents volunteering to drive? How would the Fulton Steamers football team get to Ottawa's Gould Stadium for a showdown with the Marquette Academy Crusaders? How would the Streator Marching Bulldogs get to the University of Illinois to compete?
Such questions are at the extreme end of the spectrum, but with the state looking to do away with any transportation funding for public school districts, it's safe to say all options should be on the table. Local budgets are stretched thin as it is, and the state's inability to make payments is only making things worse. If the next step is an outright end to a funding stream, no one should be surprised.
Obviously school buses will not be going away. Aside from the heavy investment in building fleets to current levels, there is the more practical matter of getting students to the classroom. Unlike Chicago and its immediate suburbs, the Illinois Valley, like most of the rest of the state, does not have an extensive public transportation network to fall back on. The big yellow buses simply have to run or kids won't get to school.
Wallace Elementary School District Superintendent Mike Matteson last week said it might not be until the end of May or even later that school boards will learn whether the funding will remain. It must not bother anyone in Springfield that school districts would have a matter of days to scrape together a plan before starting a new fiscal year.
My oldest has ridden a bus to school since he was in 3-year-old preschool at Lincoln Elementary in Ottawa, even though we lived just a few blocks away. We since have moved, and now, as a second-grader, I walk him to a spot in our neighborhood every morning — well, the mornings we aren't sprinting —and wave as he's driven away. I feel a slave to nothing so much as the 8:18 a.m. bus call.
Continue reading "Imagine schools without buses."
What if we didn't have school buses?
What if students got to school by whatever means possible —foot, bicycle, roller skates, a ride from a parent or neighbor? What if a sixth-grade class couldn't take a field trip to a museum without a bunch of parents volunteering to drive? How would the Fulton Steamers football team get to Ottawa's Gould Stadium for a showdown with the Marquette Academy Crusaders? How would the Streator Marching Bulldogs get to the University of Illinois to compete?
Such questions are at the extreme end of the spectrum, but with the state looking to do away with any transportation funding for public school districts, it's safe to say all options should be on the table. Local budgets are stretched thin as it is, and the state's inability to make payments is only making things worse. If the next step is an outright end to a funding stream, no one should be surprised.
Obviously school buses will not be going away. Aside from the heavy investment in building fleets to current levels, there is the more practical matter of getting students to the classroom. Unlike Chicago and its immediate suburbs, the Illinois Valley, like most of the rest of the state, does not have an extensive public transportation network to fall back on. The big yellow buses simply have to run or kids won't get to school.
Wallace Elementary School District Superintendent Mike Matteson last week said it might not be until the end of May or even later that school boards will learn whether the funding will remain. It must not bother anyone in Springfield that school districts would have a matter of days to scrape together a plan before starting a new fiscal year.
My oldest has ridden a bus to school since he was in 3-year-old preschool at Lincoln Elementary in Ottawa, even though we lived just a few blocks away. We since have moved, and now, as a second-grader, I walk him to a spot in our neighborhood every morning — well, the mornings we aren't sprinting —and wave as he's driven away. I feel a slave to nothing so much as the 8:18 a.m. bus call.
Continue reading "Imagine schools without buses."
Monday, January 30, 2012
More from Fulton
And now, presented without much comment, are the remainder of our photos and videos from Christmas/New Year's week at How's House.
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| More food from How. From How's House |
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| Classic Max. From How's House |
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| Working on his cymbal technique. From How's House |
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| So close to all the fun in the basement. From How's House |
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| Max smile. From How's House |
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| Jack smile. From How's House |
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| So close, so very close... From How's House |
Christmas in Savanna
On Saturday of our week in Fulton — yes, it was New Year's Eve — we finally got the kids up to Savanna to spend some time with Great How. Pam and Peggy were also around, which was a nice treat. Charlie was in a pretty decent mood, until he needed to take a nap. What woke him up from his nap? A diaper explosion. Did I mention he was napping on me at the time? It wasn't as bad as it could have been. But it was not ideal. Still, it was good to get up there and spend some quality time. Jack and Max enjoyed the visit, which was nice. Also, I took pictures:
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| A family tradition. From How's House |
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| Again with the walking... From How's House |
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| A Doodle smile. From How's House |
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| Getting help with food from Auntie Pam. From How's House |
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| Max checks out his rolling ball water fountain. From How's House |
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| Helping Peggy with a scratch ticket. From How's House |
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Holiday week in Fulton
Sorry for the delay in posting — again — but we've just spent a week or so dealing with a stomach bug affecting 3/5 of the house. Delightful. Anyway, the following photos and videos are from the same day as our Chicago side trip, but obviously from after Kristie, Charlie and I got back to Fulton.
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| Playing with the new activity table. From How's House |
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| "It's Shake 'n' Bake, and I helped! From How's House |
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| Fun with How and Pop. From How's House |
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| Yum... a stool. From How's House |
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
New library a pretty hard sell
Column originally published Jan. 24, 2012.
A new Reddick Library could be erected on the Jordan block.
So began Times reporter Dan Churney's story last week on a library board finance committee meeting at which more than a dozen possible locations for a new library surfaced. And despite all practical alternatives, it's easy to see why the Jordan Block suggestion rose to the top.
The land itself is a virtual blank slate, allowing for custom design of the entire facility to meet the most modern standards. The location is not only central for the entire community, but also prominent. A library at such a key location would be a boon to the downtown district and also a centerpiece for the city. Yes, the open space has been beneficial since some of the buildings once there were destroyed by fire, but a grand and glorious public building there would be some sort of living monument to city leaders of the early 21st century.
However, it's also easy to see how such a plan would struggle to gain the necessary public approval to warrant moving forward. The library is, after all, funded by tax dollars. That means the choices about its future should be made with financial prudence in mind. If converting space in one of the empty big-box stores in town makes more sense, that's the right call. It wouldn't be near as pretty, but there's no ordinance stipulating a library be the crown jewel of the community.
Furthermore, there seems to be no rush of agreement with the library's goal of increasing its size by 65 percent. The current structure is only 38 years old. While technology has changed many aspects of the library world the last four decades, it seems the evolution is far more rapid at present.
Evidence has been printed in these very pages in the last few days alone, as schools look to adopt iPad technology into the classroom —thus reducing reliance on traditional textbooks — and school boards are looking at doing away with printed materials for meetings in order to save money on paper and the time of employees who must produce the packets of information.
Reddick staff members, to their credit, seemingly have been willing to embrace technology. The library offers e-books and audio books and personal instructions on how to use them, with similar service for patrons who have invested in one of the newer e-reader devices such as the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook.
I'm in no rush to bury the brick-and-mortar library or the paper-and-ink book. (This may not be too surprising coming from someone who still writes for a traditional newspaper.) I'm just wondering if now is the exact right time to be considering a massive expenditure of public funds on physical upgrades when it might not be 10 full years before full-scale buyer's remorse sets in.
Continue reading "New library a pretty hard sell."
A new Reddick Library could be erected on the Jordan block.
So began Times reporter Dan Churney's story last week on a library board finance committee meeting at which more than a dozen possible locations for a new library surfaced. And despite all practical alternatives, it's easy to see why the Jordan Block suggestion rose to the top.
The land itself is a virtual blank slate, allowing for custom design of the entire facility to meet the most modern standards. The location is not only central for the entire community, but also prominent. A library at such a key location would be a boon to the downtown district and also a centerpiece for the city. Yes, the open space has been beneficial since some of the buildings once there were destroyed by fire, but a grand and glorious public building there would be some sort of living monument to city leaders of the early 21st century.
However, it's also easy to see how such a plan would struggle to gain the necessary public approval to warrant moving forward. The library is, after all, funded by tax dollars. That means the choices about its future should be made with financial prudence in mind. If converting space in one of the empty big-box stores in town makes more sense, that's the right call. It wouldn't be near as pretty, but there's no ordinance stipulating a library be the crown jewel of the community.
Furthermore, there seems to be no rush of agreement with the library's goal of increasing its size by 65 percent. The current structure is only 38 years old. While technology has changed many aspects of the library world the last four decades, it seems the evolution is far more rapid at present.
Evidence has been printed in these very pages in the last few days alone, as schools look to adopt iPad technology into the classroom —thus reducing reliance on traditional textbooks — and school boards are looking at doing away with printed materials for meetings in order to save money on paper and the time of employees who must produce the packets of information.
Reddick staff members, to their credit, seemingly have been willing to embrace technology. The library offers e-books and audio books and personal instructions on how to use them, with similar service for patrons who have invested in one of the newer e-reader devices such as the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook.
I'm in no rush to bury the brick-and-mortar library or the paper-and-ink book. (This may not be too surprising coming from someone who still writes for a traditional newspaper.) I'm just wondering if now is the exact right time to be considering a massive expenditure of public funds on physical upgrades when it might not be 10 full years before full-scale buyer's remorse sets in.
Continue reading "New library a pretty hard sell."
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Chicago side trip
It occurs to me as I get to this point in my photo backlog we have not posted anything about Charlie's most recent visit to the pediatrician. On Jan. 9 (yes, ten days ago) Charlie weighed in at 16 pounds, 6 ounces. His stool sample was blood free and all indications are the diet modification is the key to success. He will be weighed again when he goes in for his 12-month checkup and shots.
Given how much he eats (people food, too, not just milk) and if everything internally is actually starting to work properly again, I think he should resume gaining weight in a normal pattern. Several months down the road we can look at reintroducing the soy and dairy elements to his diet. At some point we'll transition him to a different primary beverage, but it's hard to argue with the quality of breast milk given his specific needs at the moment.
All that information, presented well after the fact, is delivered here to explain the side trip we took from our stay in Fulton. On Wednesday afternoon of that week, Kristie, Charlie and I headed for home on account of a 10 a.m. Thursday appointment at Children's Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park for a sweat test. The purpose of the procedure was to examine Charlie's perspiration for its salt content as an indicator of cystic fibrosis. A few days after New Year's we got confirmation he was all clear, but that doesn't preclude me from sharing photos.
The test itself went a little something like this:
If you look on his right arm, you see two rubber bands with wires attached. I'm not sure of the exact mechanics here, but essentially there is a fluid under it all and the bands are holding in place some metal plates that are heated ever so slightly. He had to wear these (one set on each arm) for five minutes. After that time elapsed, he was fitted with a sleeve of sorts (see his left arm, which was first; I held him for that one). He had to wear both sleeves for 30 minutes while we sat in the lobby, fed him Cheerios and also breast milk (on tap!), changed his diaper and so on. After the half hour, the technician took the sleeve and sent us on our way.
Thanks to some night before research, I had found a nearby (across from the employee exit of the hospital) Mediterranean restaurant. In addition to being very close, practically empty and affordable, the menu was loaded with dishes containing neither soy nor dairy and also the perfect size to feed a baby from our plate. If this place wasn't a 50-minute drive into the city, we'd absolutely be regulars. It was delicious.
The space seemed to be a converted car shop of sorts. One wall (the bulk of the dining area and behind the kitchen) was exposed brick. Across from it looked to be an old garage door that used to open overhead There was a conventional pedestrian door, of course, but also loads of natural light that lit up Charlie's face beautifully. So I took pictures. And I couldn't decide which one I liked best, so here's three:
And, for good measure, more walking practice:
We'd originally planned to go take the Red Line to State Street and then walk to Millennium Park to see the city still all decked out in Christmas splendor, but it was really windy that day and we guessed (correctly) Charlie might just sleep all the way to Fulton if we got back in the van on a full stomach. But it ended up being a fairly nice trip overall — it's a treat to get to spend time like that in the car with Kristie without whining/fighting/hungry children in the back seat, and the three of us have enjoyed some nice, practical meals out during some of this exra medical testing. We'd rather not go at all, of course, but turning it into a little date with the littlest one has made the best of the situation.
And now that it seems we're back on the right track nutritionally, it has certainly been well worth the effort.
Given how much he eats (people food, too, not just milk) and if everything internally is actually starting to work properly again, I think he should resume gaining weight in a normal pattern. Several months down the road we can look at reintroducing the soy and dairy elements to his diet. At some point we'll transition him to a different primary beverage, but it's hard to argue with the quality of breast milk given his specific needs at the moment.
All that information, presented well after the fact, is delivered here to explain the side trip we took from our stay in Fulton. On Wednesday afternoon of that week, Kristie, Charlie and I headed for home on account of a 10 a.m. Thursday appointment at Children's Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park for a sweat test. The purpose of the procedure was to examine Charlie's perspiration for its salt content as an indicator of cystic fibrosis. A few days after New Year's we got confirmation he was all clear, but that doesn't preclude me from sharing photos.
The test itself went a little something like this:
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| From On the Road |
If you look on his right arm, you see two rubber bands with wires attached. I'm not sure of the exact mechanics here, but essentially there is a fluid under it all and the bands are holding in place some metal plates that are heated ever so slightly. He had to wear these (one set on each arm) for five minutes. After that time elapsed, he was fitted with a sleeve of sorts (see his left arm, which was first; I held him for that one). He had to wear both sleeves for 30 minutes while we sat in the lobby, fed him Cheerios and also breast milk (on tap!), changed his diaper and so on. After the half hour, the technician took the sleeve and sent us on our way.
Thanks to some night before research, I had found a nearby (across from the employee exit of the hospital) Mediterranean restaurant. In addition to being very close, practically empty and affordable, the menu was loaded with dishes containing neither soy nor dairy and also the perfect size to feed a baby from our plate. If this place wasn't a 50-minute drive into the city, we'd absolutely be regulars. It was delicious.
The space seemed to be a converted car shop of sorts. One wall (the bulk of the dining area and behind the kitchen) was exposed brick. Across from it looked to be an old garage door that used to open overhead There was a conventional pedestrian door, of course, but also loads of natural light that lit up Charlie's face beautifully. So I took pictures. And I couldn't decide which one I liked best, so here's three:
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| From On the Road |
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| From On the Road |
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| From On the Road |
And, for good measure, more walking practice:
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| From On the Road |
We'd originally planned to go take the Red Line to State Street and then walk to Millennium Park to see the city still all decked out in Christmas splendor, but it was really windy that day and we guessed (correctly) Charlie might just sleep all the way to Fulton if we got back in the van on a full stomach. But it ended up being a fairly nice trip overall — it's a treat to get to spend time like that in the car with Kristie without whining/fighting/hungry children in the back seat, and the three of us have enjoyed some nice, practical meals out during some of this exra medical testing. We'd rather not go at all, of course, but turning it into a little date with the littlest one has made the best of the situation.
And now that it seems we're back on the right track nutritionally, it has certainly been well worth the effort.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Bedhead
Pre-bed bath, plus a night spent more sweating profusely in mom and dad's bed than relaxing coolly in your Pack 'n' Play, leads to this sweet morning hair.
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| From How's House |
Christmas at How's House
To re-set the scene: Christmas was a Sunday. Monday we drove to Fulton, straight to Kristie's grandparents' house. Charlie and I left around 8, everyone else was there until around 10 p.m. Tuesday was busy for a few folks, so by Tuesday night it was finally time to open presents at How's house. Which brings us to here:
Sure, that picture on its own does not scream Christmas. But trust me when I tell you I took it right before I started taking pictures of boys with presents (and right after I took the annual picture of Jack "helping" Pop get the video camera set up). Speaking of Jack, here is is getting his first look at his brand new Nook Tablet:
I can't recall what was in this box, but it sure must have been heavy:
Like at Pops & K's with the fire chief get up, Max scored a fair amount of dress-up clothes at How's, courtesy of Aunt Kelly. He insisted on trying on his dragon cape and wore it for several minutes. Later in the week he plowed through all the outfits (knight, king, police officer, etc.) and looked adorable in all of them. Watching he and Jack play with them, sort of in character, proved his imagination is up to the task, and also that little boys can have great fun with toys that don't have a screen or make noise. (Our boys make plenty of noise on their own. Plenty.)
A few more photos:
What's under that giant blanket?
Christmas and fire? This place is awesome!
As usual, a fantastic Christmas celebration at How's. True to form, Charlie decided to eat in the middle of gifts and delayed Kristie getting to open things at the same time as everyone else. And bedtime was far later than it should have been for all the younger set. But it was only the beginning of a long week at How's, so there was plenty of time to get caught up... right?
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| From How's House |
Sure, that picture on its own does not scream Christmas. But trust me when I tell you I took it right before I started taking pictures of boys with presents (and right after I took the annual picture of Jack "helping" Pop get the video camera set up). Speaking of Jack, here is is getting his first look at his brand new Nook Tablet:
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| From How's House |
I can't recall what was in this box, but it sure must have been heavy:
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| From How's House |
Like at Pops & K's with the fire chief get up, Max scored a fair amount of dress-up clothes at How's, courtesy of Aunt Kelly. He insisted on trying on his dragon cape and wore it for several minutes. Later in the week he plowed through all the outfits (knight, king, police officer, etc.) and looked adorable in all of them. Watching he and Jack play with them, sort of in character, proved his imagination is up to the task, and also that little boys can have great fun with toys that don't have a screen or make noise. (Our boys make plenty of noise on their own. Plenty.)
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| From How's House |
A few more photos:
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| Jack helps Kevin with his "reinbeer." Thank you, Pinterest. From How's House |
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| Uncle Kyle's new shirt. Thank you, Woot.com. From How's House |
What's under that giant blanket?
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| Doodle sizes up the workbench. From How's House |
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| Charlie also is a big fan of the workbench. From How's House |
Christmas and fire? This place is awesome!
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| Playing peek-a-boo with wrapping paper. From How's House |
As usual, a fantastic Christmas celebration at How's. True to form, Charlie decided to eat in the middle of gifts and delayed Kristie getting to open things at the same time as everyone else. And bedtime was far later than it should have been for all the younger set. But it was only the beginning of a long week at How's, so there was plenty of time to get caught up... right?
Down time at How's
Still playing catch up here on the photo backlog. Big shocker. Anyway, I like these three photos. The first shows Charlie actually warming up to someone who is not a parent (not pictured: all the food How fed him, one morsel at a time, in order to get him to be OK with her holding him — it's kind of like how you train a dog by bribing it with treats).
And on this note, we left Charlie with the older boys at Pops & K's house Monday night for a bell choir rehearsal. We thought the hardest part of the night would be dealing with a screaming baby when we got back, but he actually did very well. He played with the kids and hung out with my parents and, sure it was only an hour, really gave us the impression he is turning the corner on this front. The real hard part of the evening was the sadness on the other bell choir members' faces when they realized Charlie wouldn't be coming to rehearsal.
Also pictured? Charlie giving Kristie a big sloppy kiss...
...and the boys doing a tandem vegetable routine in front of Lord only knows what TV show.
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| From How's House |
And on this note, we left Charlie with the older boys at Pops & K's house Monday night for a bell choir rehearsal. We thought the hardest part of the night would be dealing with a screaming baby when we got back, but he actually did very well. He played with the kids and hung out with my parents and, sure it was only an hour, really gave us the impression he is turning the corner on this front. The real hard part of the evening was the sadness on the other bell choir members' faces when they realized Charlie wouldn't be coming to rehearsal.
Also pictured? Charlie giving Kristie a big sloppy kiss...
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| From How's House |
...and the boys doing a tandem vegetable routine in front of Lord only knows what TV show.
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| From How's House |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Looking forward to appreciate past, present
Column originally published Jan. 17, 2012.
My parents were high school students when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1968. When I was born some 11 years later, the world had already changed a great deal, to say nothing of the evolution in my own lifetime.
And while guessing what the future may hold is pure folly, there's something to be said for looking simultaneously forward and backward — to wonder what tomorrow may bring but also to be informed by our collective past.
"Saturday Night Live" tackled the subject in its most recent episode, airing a sketch set in 2112. In the bit set at a theater, actors were presenting a play set in 2012 and the futuristic audience was laughing uproariously at the conventions of "today" — driving an hour to work, logging on to the Internet to send an email, wearing a business suit, etc. Also in 2012, wolverines had not yet been domesticated and singer Taylor Swift had not yet assassinated anyone.
While not as humorous as the writers intended, the bit did manage to poke fun at the idea of taking things for granted and also the notion that what we now consider the height of technological innovation may one day be as stale as the VCR or in-car cassette deck. After all, in 1973, O.J. Simpson was just the world's greatest running back and no one had ever heard of a Goldendoodle.
Looking to the past — and especially in light of Monday's observance of King's birthday — can be far more illuminating. While looking up something entirely different Sunday, I came upon a link to a March 2008 newspaper essay I'd set aside for posterity.
Chicago Tribune reporter Patrick Reardon wrote the piece just days after U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, on the presidential campaign trail, spoke in Philadelphia on the issue of race relations in modern America. What struck me about Reardon's writing was not just his take on race, and specifically a beloved book from his childhood he could not in good conscience pass on to his own children, but the larger concept of moral blindness. He wrote:
Continue reading "Looking forward to appreciate past, present."
My parents were high school students when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1968. When I was born some 11 years later, the world had already changed a great deal, to say nothing of the evolution in my own lifetime.
And while guessing what the future may hold is pure folly, there's something to be said for looking simultaneously forward and backward — to wonder what tomorrow may bring but also to be informed by our collective past.
"Saturday Night Live" tackled the subject in its most recent episode, airing a sketch set in 2112. In the bit set at a theater, actors were presenting a play set in 2012 and the futuristic audience was laughing uproariously at the conventions of "today" — driving an hour to work, logging on to the Internet to send an email, wearing a business suit, etc. Also in 2012, wolverines had not yet been domesticated and singer Taylor Swift had not yet assassinated anyone.
While not as humorous as the writers intended, the bit did manage to poke fun at the idea of taking things for granted and also the notion that what we now consider the height of technological innovation may one day be as stale as the VCR or in-car cassette deck. After all, in 1973, O.J. Simpson was just the world's greatest running back and no one had ever heard of a Goldendoodle.
Looking to the past — and especially in light of Monday's observance of King's birthday — can be far more illuminating. While looking up something entirely different Sunday, I came upon a link to a March 2008 newspaper essay I'd set aside for posterity.
Chicago Tribune reporter Patrick Reardon wrote the piece just days after U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, on the presidential campaign trail, spoke in Philadelphia on the issue of race relations in modern America. What struck me about Reardon's writing was not just his take on race, and specifically a beloved book from his childhood he could not in good conscience pass on to his own children, but the larger concept of moral blindness. He wrote:
Continue reading "Looking forward to appreciate past, present."
Monday, January 16, 2012
Jack at Work
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| From Pops and K's |
Jack has the day off from school today, and his first instinct was to ask to come to the office with me. Since a day off from school is no vacation for Kristie (especially given how crazy it was at our house Sunday afternoon and evening) and because he's really not much trouble when he's here without Max or Charlie, everyone agreed it was acceptable. Jack loves to "work," setting himself up in the office between K and Sharon, and he's also fond of "helping out" in the warehouse downstairs. In the past that has meant making little pieces of Styrofoam out of bigger pieces of Styrofoam and playing drums on empty boxes with sections of air hose:
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| Jan. 12, 2009. From Pops and K's |
But now that he's a big second-grader with advanced reading, motor and computer skills, he's actually pretty handy to have around. This afternoon, Sharon gave him some actual work to do, and he was pretty much up to the task. At this stage it's a novelty, of course. I doubt in a year or two he'd want to pack 100 monitors out of the goodness of his heart. But on balance, it beats staying at home, watching four hours of "Phineas and Ferb" and wrestling on the couch with Max until Kristie makes them both go play in the snow.
Haircuts
Got haircuts for the older boys Saturday afternoon. Here they are before...
... and after (couldn't get a good "after" with Jack's eyes open, but it's still cute.)
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| From Hollands at Home 2012 |
... and after (couldn't get a good "after" with Jack's eyes open, but it's still cute.)
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| From Hollands at Home 2012 |
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A Workman Christmas
Picking back up where we left off in our Christmas retrospective... on Dec. 26 we left home around lunch time headed for Fulton. With a suggested 4 p.m. start time at Kristie's grandparents' house for the Workman family Christmas celebration, we drove straight there instead of going to How's house first.
I've lost track of how many years I have been a part of this particular Christmas celebration. I know for certain I was there in 2001, the year before we got married, because our kitties stayed with Kristie's grandparents while I was away from the apartment for several days (Kristie was still in college and, I think, attending the big band clinic in Chicago the same time). I'm not sure if I was there the year before — 2000 was the Christmas Kristie flew to North Carolina to meet my mom's side of the family.
Either way, it's been more than a decade. And with Kristie's cousins (technically her first cousins, once removed, so second cousins to our boys) just starting high school, it's easy to for me to remember when we all used to fit a little bit better in the living room. You know, when those boys (and Kyle) were little and we didn't have three of our own. On the flip side, it seems there's been a pretty constant stream of always having at least one kid young enough to make a big deal over at Christmas time, which makes for a fun holiday experience for pretty much everyone.
And, oh yeah, some pictures:
I've lost track of how many years I have been a part of this particular Christmas celebration. I know for certain I was there in 2001, the year before we got married, because our kitties stayed with Kristie's grandparents while I was away from the apartment for several days (Kristie was still in college and, I think, attending the big band clinic in Chicago the same time). I'm not sure if I was there the year before — 2000 was the Christmas Kristie flew to North Carolina to meet my mom's side of the family.
Either way, it's been more than a decade. And with Kristie's cousins (technically her first cousins, once removed, so second cousins to our boys) just starting high school, it's easy to for me to remember when we all used to fit a little bit better in the living room. You know, when those boys (and Kyle) were little and we didn't have three of our own. On the flip side, it seems there's been a pretty constant stream of always having at least one kid young enough to make a big deal over at Christmas time, which makes for a fun holiday experience for pretty much everyone.
And, oh yeah, some pictures:
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| Jack helps Stacey with the camera while everyone lines up for a family photo. From How's House |
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| Max and his Great-Grandpa. From How's House |
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| Working on his walking. From How's House |
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| Christmas face. From How's House |
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| What is it? From How's House |
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Christmas night at Pops & K's
After the dust settled at our house Christmas Day — and a nap for Charlie — we packed up everyone to head down to Libertyville for the remainder of the Holland Christmas celebration. After hosting the last two years, and especially in light of our new dietary restrictions, it was a nice change of pace to do the big meal and open gifts at Pops & K's house. Plus, our house was an absolute disaster (owing largely to the train table and McDonald's set and all the attendant parts strewn about the living room) and we were expending all our non-parenting energy toward getting ready to drive to Fulton the next day.
As I recall (nearly two weeks later), the actual celebration went pretty well, especially in terms of behavior from Jack and Max. Writing that makes me sound like kind of a grumpy dad, but with so much excitement and gratification jammed into so many consecutive days, it's hard not to keep such things close to top of mind. Even though family members very rarely pass judgement during a meltdown (visibly, at least), it seems there's lots of pressure on us as parents to provide magical holiday memories, or at least several hours of feeling happy to be together with everyone. It really is a wonderful time for me, personally, to tangibly experience the benefits of close family bonds ... but it's also one of the peak stress times for my role as a parent.
But enough about me. How about the pictures?
That was the end of Christmas week festivities with the Hollands. We left for Fulton the next morning, and Aunt Kim flew back to San Francisco that afternoon. Matt had to work (though he was off duty Dec. 25 itself, a nice surprise since the Bears were playing that night) and eventually life gets back to normal. But it was the cap to a nice few days of family fun, especially the one-on-one time Kim had with both Max (two days of playing games and iPad stuff and eating food at Pops & K's) and Jack (a movie and a sleepover) and also to see Charlie show the first signs of coming out of his shell, which he continued quite nicely during our week in Fulton. That's our next stop on the blog tour, whenever I get around to slogging through the 300-some photos and handful of videos. Until then...
As I recall (nearly two weeks later), the actual celebration went pretty well, especially in terms of behavior from Jack and Max. Writing that makes me sound like kind of a grumpy dad, but with so much excitement and gratification jammed into so many consecutive days, it's hard not to keep such things close to top of mind. Even though family members very rarely pass judgement during a meltdown (visibly, at least), it seems there's lots of pressure on us as parents to provide magical holiday memories, or at least several hours of feeling happy to be together with everyone. It really is a wonderful time for me, personally, to tangibly experience the benefits of close family bonds ... but it's also one of the peak stress times for my role as a parent.
But enough about me. How about the pictures?
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| We'll file this one under "When did he get so big?" From Pops and K's |
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| Checking out Kim's turtle-shaped thumb piano. From Pops and K's |
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| Max's facial expressions are the best. From Pops and K's |
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| Fire Chief Doodle. From Pops and K's |
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| Charlie ate and slept through most of the presents. From Pops and K's |
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| Pops and his brick. The black smudge is the remnant of a grill wheel he melted. From Pops and K's |
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| After dinner, back in the swing of things. From Pops and K's |
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| Taking hats off is fun! From Pops and K's |
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| Jack is very fond of his snap circuit set — and proud of his handiwork. From Pops and K's |
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| There's a bow on my head! From Pops and K's |
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| These two have an awful lot in common. From Pops and K's |
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| Upside-down Doodle! From Pops and K's |
That was the end of Christmas week festivities with the Hollands. We left for Fulton the next morning, and Aunt Kim flew back to San Francisco that afternoon. Matt had to work (though he was off duty Dec. 25 itself, a nice surprise since the Bears were playing that night) and eventually life gets back to normal. But it was the cap to a nice few days of family fun, especially the one-on-one time Kim had with both Max (two days of playing games and iPad stuff and eating food at Pops & K's) and Jack (a movie and a sleepover) and also to see Charlie show the first signs of coming out of his shell, which he continued quite nicely during our week in Fulton. That's our next stop on the blog tour, whenever I get around to slogging through the 300-some photos and handful of videos. Until then...
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