Year in Review 2012

It has been another whirlwind year for us, with minutes that seemed to last forever, but weeks and months that flew by! We have enjoyed many wonderful moments with our boys over the year and they continue to grow and delight us - swimming lessons, hikes, bike trips, holiday markets, solstice festivals, skating, museum visits and even gingerbread tower making! 
 

Our gingerbread CN tower

 

This year we watched our toddler learn to run and jump – seemingly days after learning to walk – he hasn’t stopped moving since! He runs everywhere, and we run after him, marvelling at his endless energy. Yet, when it is time to cuddle, this two-year-old has a remarkable way of curling up, with his head on your shoulder, and his whole body emanating peace and warmth. 

This year our “big boy” lost his first tooth. One evening he told me his tooth was loose. I checked and indeed it moved, but only very slightly. To my utter surprise, when I picked him up from daycare the next day the tooth was gone. Upon asking him where it was, he told me that he wiggled it all day and was so surprised when it fell out that he dropped it. We searched the daycare provider’s floor to no avail. Luckily the Tooth Fairy understood.

Professionally, this year brought much needed stability. I got a very cool job editing and reviewing research proposals and have broadened my understanding of grant writing and of the amazing breadth of research taking place across a spectrum of disciplines. It is also very nice to have extended health benefits. Through this change I have continued the professional introspection I began last year. My new role lets me see which parts of my work experience are governed by my tasks and which parts come from within and will follow me in whatever I choose to do.

Unlike previous years, this year we stayed close to home. We explored our city and found places to hike nearby, but we did not travel far afield. We remain very happy living in our downtown co-op.  As the boys grow older we may require more space, but for now we are happy to deal with this by trying not to accumulate too much “stuff”. This choice allows us to live affordably with doctor, dentist, school, and several public parks, libraries, pools, and even skating rinks within walking distance.

Happy holidays and all the best for 2013!

All I want for the holidays

Life continues to rush by at an alarming pace, despite the best intentions of my last post about taking time to slow down. But this morning I took a moment to pause and I stumbled upon an interesting report by the UK group Family Action.

I am a self-professed Grinch when it comes to consumerism during the holidays (my poor family knows this well). That is why I was heartened to see this report. Apart from my usual rant about consuming less to help preserve what is left of our environment (as David Suzuki put it "A strong economy is important, but the biosphere is more important."), it would seem that presents are not the most important thing to kids during the holidays (despite what the adds would have us believe).

Now if I only liked cooking a bit better ... Well, we can always make cookies. And in the spirit of “everyone is different” perhaps my contribution could be getting everyone out for a holiday hike!