Happy 2014!

Happy New Year Everyone!

We are a few days in already.  I hope the new year is treating you well.  In the interest of keeping in touch, here is our 'holiday letter.'

2013 was a tumultuous year with many changes.  Charles did a brave thing and quit his PhD program.  It became clear that it just was not a good idea financially.  We all tried to talk him out of it, but now see that he was right.  Fortunately he left on good terms (he really was doing well--which is part of what made his decision so hard), so he may go back some day.  Right now he is a modern day Madman--that's right, he went into advertising!  Surprise!  He is doing well and enjoying this new chapter in his career.

Solomon faced down his first research papers this fall and did quite well.  He is still brimming with both story ideas and business ideas--many sounding quite good.  He is growing inside and out.  Solomon is happy to point out that he is now taller than me, and just yesterday he sized up to a full sized violin.  This is a plus in Basket Ball, Solomon's favorite sport.

Nova has thoroughly enjoyed her first year of Orchestra.  In fact, it has been hard to get her to practice anything else.  Always social, she has had fun making new friends as we tried out a homeschool co-op this fall.  At home, she is taking on new responsibility, spontaneously cleaning and redecorating her room on her own.  Baking is a new interest of hers.  She especially enjoys making the whole thing herself.

Charlotte has really come into her own at preschool.  Confident and comfortable in a way she wasn't last year--what a change from three to four!  She is itching to learn, asking me to teach her to reading, do math, and how to tell time.  Charlotte started cello this year which has been a lot of fun (note to prospective Suzuki parents--starting at four is much better than starting at three).  Her teacher suggested we read Charlotte's Web, which the whole family was soon in on with Charles doing most of the reading--a favorite memory from this Fall.

Ariadne has changed more in the last year than anyone--as kids going from babies to toddlers do.  She has a good sense of humor and likes dancing and drawing (another lefty, it seems).  With potty training out of the way and her frequent insistence that Charlotte's bed is a good place for her to cuddle up, she is seeming more girl than baby all the sudden.  She is mindful of her family members and often asks after her brother or sisters if she hasn't seem them for awhile.  Times when she finds herself alone with both Mom and Dad are a special delight.  She will go from one of us to the other hugging and naming as if to say 'You are both here with me!

Ariadne, along with the other kids, have occupied most of my time this year.  I maintain that the year from one to two is the hardest (at least up through 12--don't know about the teen years yet!).  We have childproofed the house several times, but it never seems to be enough--she keeps learning ways around it.  Smart children are fun but a challenge.  I have also done a handful of journalism pieces, most recently a piece on gluten free birthday parties for MN Parent and a couple of radio shorts--one on the Schubert Museum and another on the Wabasha Street Caves.  I enjoyed a Loft class on writing children's fiction earlier this year, but don't expect any finished novels anytime soon!  Try as I might, I'm just not finding the time to write these days.  Maybe later.  Right now it is enough to enjoy reading what others have written, and share that with the kids.  Knitting and sewing have come back into my life, mostly as hats and Halloween costumes.  It turns out those many times as a child when my mom would call me over and show me how to turn a pocket or sew a hem paid off.

Last Spring we traveled to Canada to visit family.  We were able to see both Charles' Grandma McKitrick and Grandpa Midwinter, as well as Aunt Kathy, Great Aunts Jean and Joan, Great Uncle Glen, and cousin Parker.  We thank everyone for their wonderful hospitality.  It was bittersweet, as we knew that not everyone was in good health.  Sadly we were unable to see Uncle Brian and Aunt Carol as planned.  Carol passed away a few days after our visit.  GG Lois held on until Fall.  We returned for her funeral in October.  The order of service for her memorial proclaimed it 'A Celebration of Life' and it truly was.  It was good to remember with family and friends.

For those who read our blog, there are other highlights of the year here and there--camping in a Tipi at Blue Mounds State Park, Solomon and Charles building a computer together, Charlotte learning to ride a two-wheeled bike, family gatherings of all sorts--nothing too profound, just the everyday that goes together to make a life.  Here's to making every day count.  Wishing you many happy days in 2014!

Love,
Maria, Charles, Solomon (12), Nova (9 1/2), Charlotte (4 1/2) and Ariadne (1 3/4)