January 3, 2003

Happy New Year!

Chanukah this year was a bit hectic, since it started right after Thanksgiving and Kathie had the kids on a trip to Colorado. So Kathie took along a menorah and lit candles with the kids each night. Thanks!

Katelyn's birthday party was quite an event. All of them. First we had a family gathering on Thursday (with Glynis, Susan, Judy, Donna, and Val joining us). (We also had the 7th night of Chanukah that night - whew!) Then she had cupcakes and a little party at school on Friday. Then the main event on Saturday, a party with all of her friends, complete with a jumpy castle, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and a pinata. She was especially proud of her cake, which was a copy of a picture she'd drawn, courtesy of the "photo transfer" option at Albertson's.

Susan, Joel, and Lee came for a visit on Saturday to celebrate Chanukah and Katelyn's birthday. We had a fun visit, however Haley's bout with some kind of stomach flu on Friday night proved to be a problem, since within 36 hours we all came down with it... very unpleasant. We missed Andrea and Antonio's birthday party, and Katelyn and I missed two days of school/work.

Katelyn had her 6-year checkup. She's fine. She's 41 pounds and 43 1/2 inches tall. One of these days she'll be out of a car seat, but probably not before she's 10!

Around the middle of the month we had a terrible storm. We lost power for over 2 days! At one point Haley (newly toilet-trained) ran out of underwear and we had to wash it by hand and hang it out to dry by the fireplace! (check out the picture) For the kids it was a grand adventure. It was fun, but difficult since we had no heat and no lights. Luckily the stove and oven and water heater are gas, so we made do.

Christmas was a bit hectic. Katelyn came down with a mild case of strep throat on Christmas eve. I had a sort throat and was worried about having it, but my test was negative. However instead of spending a quiet day at home, we ended up running to doctors and pharmacies. That evening the kids went to Kathie's, and Val and Mom and I went to a performance of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy. I'm definitely going next year, and want to get a table of 10 together so we can reserve good seats and share in the fun.

On Christmas Day, Val and the kids and I went to her stepsister Jenny's in SF and visited with Val's family. An added bonus is that her other stepsister Debra was there with her family from New York. Katelyn had such a good time playing with Jenny's daughter Cara that she didn't want to leave. Haley had fun running around, and especially using a new bathroom over and over again.

I had the carpets cleaned on the 28th. That may not sound like a particularly newsworthy item, but it was a big deal to get everything cleaned up and moved, and then moved back. Whew!

New Year's Eve was very quiet. Val, Glynis, Susan, and mom's friend Ralph joined us for dinner, and Val and I ushered in the new year by playing Star Trek Monopoly. Reminded me of my childhood, when the whole family would play Monopoly before watching the ball drop in Times Square.

New Year's Resolutions: stay sane! It's going to be a big year, as I'm planning on selling some property and moving to a warmer climate with a better yard. Haley will finish potty training and probably move into the preschool from the toddlers, and Katelyn will start "real" school, first grade in the fall. Work will be very busy, with several big product releases happening.

Happy New Year to everyone... hope you keep your resolutions!