Auld Lang Syne to 2009!

Greetings, Dear Family & Friends!

Did you know that Auld Lang Syne literally means 'old long since' or in modern lingo 'long, long ago'? Back in the day, you could have heard a story told 'In the days of auld lang syne' in lieu of 'Once upon a time'...I'm personally thinking of doing just that during our next bedtime story session, just to see what quips the wee ones have for me about that!

Okay, enough with the odd knowledge. Well, never mind; Craig had an interesting 'fun fact' regarding language today too! He informed me that back in the day the tunes were written, 'merry' actually meant 'mighty', so "Merry Christmas!" meant "Mighty Christmas!" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" actually meant "God Rest Ye Mighty Gentlemen". The might (of course) comes from the mighty gift of God in human form that first Christmas. Now we really ARE done with the fun facts for the day!

It is hard to believe, (especially when seeing the pics!) that an entire year has passed, and yet here we are in the last days of 2008. Since I have no memory beyond birthdates, allergies, favorite colors and daily agenda, (hence the 'auld lang syne' blog title) I flipped through my calendar for last year and thought I'd share the 'highlights' with all of you....so here goes!

Jan: David turned 3; Claire got her first tooth and took her first steps; Nia's sisters got the crazy idea to run a half-marathon and Craig got a new organ (his 3rd!)

Feb: Claire took 'leaps' (get it, leap year!) in the mouth dept...teeth 2-4 arrive (I have no record of teeth beyond this, but she does have them!)

Mar: Claire is 1 and prefers walking to crawling; Ella is 10 and the folks brave a pre-teen campout sleepover with near freezing temps; Grace is 5 and glad no one is sick of cake BEFORE her birthday (her words!)

Apr: Oreo the kitten joined our family and Ella & Natalie both earn superior metals for their solo cello & violin competitions

May: Ella has a busy month with a cello recital and a break in her foot!

June: The Meissler's visit AZ, celebrate their 1st full year in the house and party with Natalie as the just-turned-7 flower girl for the McNabb wedding!

July: Girls learn the meaning of 'interpretive dance' in Ballet Gloria camp; Craig, Ella, Natalie and Grace bike in the neighborhood 4th parade, on fashionably decorated bikes; swim lessons begin

Aug: Craig & Nia celebrate the dirty dozen; the family takes a 'big kid' outing to Fiesta TX and the girls begin their scouting adventures

Sept: Ama comes down to visit. David notices a pretty girl. Shortly after this, he has taken an interest in the partially clothed Dove models on the back of the Reader's Digest and carries the picture with him everywhere, kissing it when he feels so moved.

Oct: Girl scout awards ceremonies, each girl earning 7 badges; parties and G.S. nut sales (primer for cookies coming in Jan!!!)

Nov: Ella, Natalie and (for the first year) Grace participate in the first of 2 homeschool presentation parties; our weather turns cold and our sick saga begins

Dec: Ella & Natalie both earn via audition (completely different director!) solo vocal performances during the 2nd annual Christmas Concert at Shep.of the Hills L.C. - and perform beautifully :-) Natalie is hospitalized twice and begins her road to recovery from the brunt of a crazy carbon monoxide poisoning of our home; the girls accomplish their goals of earning 5 badges per quarter and are presented with them at the scouting Christmas party; the edible nativity is made and decorated thanks to Ms. Rachel & Mr. Nick!

December also brings into the Meissler household the interesting addition of a fascination with Star Wars: The Clone Wars and light sabers. Mom has a love/hate relationship with the light sabers (2 of which are the noisy kind). On the one hand, I love hearing their adventures, and seeing them leaping and battling evil (usually David or Claire) while 'whooshing' etc.. I'm even tempted to join in on the fun (Craig already has, once to the point of the boy crying for his turn on the saber!). On the other hand, I hate hearing the 'I'm sorry!' followed by the running and hiding before someone comes in with the delayed cry and a welt on their cheek or fingers!

Still, the good of the saber outweighs the bad, as we are attempting to go T.V. free this year and the kids (whose time was limited to begin with) haven't noticed at all. Instead, their instruments are played more often, the games actually come out of the closet, and we all get to share in interesting conversations from everything to anything...insects to underwear! Thus far, I am optimistic we can accomplish a tele-free home...we'll keep you posted!

Many warm wishes for a happy & healthy 2009!

Love Much,

The Meissler 7