christmas letter

Season's Greetings from the Dabs! What a remarkable year it's been, eh? If you had been hoping for one like this, well... you certainly got it! A new, more casual sense of decorum in the Houses of our government...all public forums set to the task of 'humanizing' our young President... and a massive restructuring of global priorities that has brought us all closer to our families [for warmth]. Rarely have we had so many reasons for keeping our eyes set upon the future.
Our youngest boy, obviously a showman in the making, has mastered all 96 variations of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on his violin- a few guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye. He has yet to transpose this hunger for variety to his diet. Consisting as it does of pizza and french fries, we are convinced that he is using this innate focus (so rare at his tender age) toward one day securing the coveted lead in "Ain't Misbehavin' ". His most recent appearance as the Lead Polichenelle in "The Nutcracker" has brought all our dreams of a carefree new life in Palm Springs one step closer to fruition.
Obviously a family trait, our eldest son shares this rare focus. This year he has it trained upon chargers and power cords. You really should see his adorable expression when just one of these connectors has escaped his meticulous system of organizing and labeling. The world around us just seems to screech to a halt. He continues to distinguish himself among peers and educators alike, to the point where just last week we had to take a step back from the 'hurly-burly' of concentrated study and complex social interaction for a few quiet weekdays at home together. You know what I mean; father and son time. Please don't be worried that he has taken his sights off of becoming a world-class drummer. We surmise that more people have already heard him practice (why, he just never stops!) than have heard Buddy Rich in concert. What a promising start!
Of course the boys cherish their 'down time' together- rarely can they even be separated! It just fills our hearts to overflowing (to bursting, really) to hear our lads exchange young fancies, and in so many ways, to help each other grow strong and resolute. What more could we ask for?
Big news to some of you; Michael & I finally tied the knot this past July, bringing our whirlwind courtship of thirty years to an end (sorry, boys- I'm off the market). For those who we felt might not appreciate something to do "all dressed up" in the middle of the day; we really did miss you. Don't feel awkward if you would still like to honor us with some thoughtfully chosen 'whats-it'. Protocol for the occasion dictates a full year (commencing last July 18th) for the giving of gifts. Attendant revelers were treated to a day of excitement, commencing with "Go Tell It On The Mountain" led by my Aunt Jane and which, predictably, did not end until the last hair-do had melted! The grooms would like to thank everyone for the photos, stories, fond wishes, and lovely gifts. All four of us Dabs are thankful for an occasion to share time with so many of our friends and family (delivered without sarcasm). I think the deepest impression was made when a dear friend whisked both of our boys off to a remote location for the rest of the evening. Michael and I were left bumping around our empty nest, free to contemplate how unfulfilled our lives might have been with only one Great Dane with a weak stomach to 'do' for. The experience was positively religious.
2009 also saw most of the plumbing in our 51 year old home revert to baser elements. While the sound of rushing water does have it's calmative effect, and it certainly does make easier work of keeping the bathroom floors clean, our holidays have been a teensy bit off-set by more urgent needs to... well, let's just leave it at "more urgent needs". A layer of drywall dust has settled over our lovely pink "permanent" tree like a blanket of fresh snow. And our Christmas cookies have taken on the distinctive flavor of a half-century old oven that, on a whim, will vary as much as 100 degrees either way (apparently the kitchen is jealous of all the loving attention we've been heaping on the bathrooms). By sheer luck, I haven't held meaningful employment for several months now and so have had these long days to flex my credit muscles at Home Depot and Overstock.com. Like that jolly elf himself, I've succeeded in filling almost every room with an array of large cartons. And now that I think of it...what spells out the holiday more than being inconvenienced by things you can't really afford?
Well friends, it was never my intent to go on bragging like this, nor to dwell on our challenges (don't you just hate people who do that?). But it's a special time of year, and I guess what I'm really trying to say is; If we can all just regard this season through the wondrous eyes of the children, just maybe we can recapture a bit of the magic of having a 13" waist and a pair of servants! God Bless Us, Everyone!