Letters from Pemberley

Christmas Party Deja Vu

Dec 5th, 2011 by ECM

So remember, three years ago, how I spent several days and $100 in babysitting to get ready for our first Christmas party in Chicago–a party that no one in our small group, not even the pastor who asked us to host the party, came to? And how it just happened to be the same week that our second child should have been born? And how much I cried that week? Yeah, that was a dark time.

Similarities between Chicago and California just keep coming! Derek invited a dozen of his mentor students over yesterday for coffee and cookies, a “low-key” Christmas party that still had me baking and decorating three kinds of intense Christmas cookies, not to mention cleaning the house thoroughly. Despite positive responses ahead of time, no one showed up. Now, since it was students and not alleged friends, my feelings weren’t hurt this time. I was just annoyed. So that all of our efforts didn’t completely go to waste, we called up one of Derek’s colleagues last minute and asked if she and her family wanted to come over and have pizza and Christmas cookies with us. And they came, and the kids got along great, so it was okay.

But seriously. California is giving Chicago a run for its money. Lame.

Posted in California | 2 Comments »

Christmas Cookies, with help

Dec 3rd, 2011 by ECM

Posted in Elizabeth, Homemaking, Tommy | 2 Comments »

Family Art Time

Dec 2nd, 2011 by ECM

After putting Susie down the past couple nights, we’ve ended up doing family art projects. Elizabeth’s favorite place to do art is on Mommy’s lap, as you can see.

Both kids are getting a lot better at cutting and glueing. Tommy has been begging me for days to let him “make a Christmas tree out of construction paper.” (I think he sees all the cool things Isaac and Lorelai are up to and wishes I were as cool a mom as Dayna.) Derek traced Tommy’s tree, but Tommy cut it and its ornaments all by himself!

And Elizabeth is just super excited to be allowed to cut up paper!

Posted in Elizabeth, Tommy | 1 Comment »

How We’re Doing (The Real Deal)

Dec 1st, 2011 by ECM

If you read our Christmas letter this week and think that life in California is wonderful, wonderful, you have a sanitized, super-cheerful version of reality. I kindof hit a low point this week, so I figured what the heck, I should give everyone a brutally honest picture of how things are. Click below to read my long update, or come back tomorrow for pictures… Continue Reading »

Posted in California | 5 Comments »

Susanna’s First Tooth!

Nov 30th, 2011 by ECM

Susie Q is continuing to outpace her older siblings at developmental milestones. Yesterday I just happened to stick my finger in her mouth and discovered that a new tooth had just cut through! It’s the lower left one. And at 7-1/2 months, that is crazy early for a Muller child. This explains the random 2 am screaming we’ve enjoyed the past couple of nights.

Of course, it’s not showing up in pictures yet, but here’s a face full of sweet potato, just for fun.

Posted in Susanna | 2 Comments »

Money Matters

Nov 29th, 2011 by ECM

The kids’ latest thing has been to pull out their piggy banks (more specifically, a rocket bank and a tea pot bank) and count their money when they’re supposed to be going to sleep. Last night, I happened to glance in to see two nude children dumping money into their pull-ups. Apparently the lack of pockets on their pajamas irritated them; they stripped their sleepers off and used the next best thing as a money holder of sorts. Their money is now residing in our room.

Posted in Elizabeth, Tommy | 5 Comments »

a few more tree hunting pics

Nov 28th, 2011 by ECM

Posted in California, Elizabeth, Susanna, Tommy | 1 Comment »

Christmas Tree, the Old School Way

Nov 27th, 2011 by ECM

We got a Christmas tree this year! After last year’s fiasco, I was determined that we were going to do this thing the right way. Fortunately, there’s a Christmas tree farm just outside of our subdivision. So we walked down in our short sleeve shirts and flip-flops (hey, it was 68 degrees) to get our tree.

There were a few snafus–cutting down trees in warm weather is considerably less pleasant than in cold weather. The wagon broke twice on the way home. We had to get the tree up the last hill in the stroller, which meant that I had to carry Susie and drag Elizabeth while the guys steered the stroller. At home, it was rickety, so Derek had to run out and get wire to make sure it wouldn’t tip over onto the kids. But we have a real tree, and between that and the Christmas music, we’re hoping to start feeling Christmas-like soon!