The following is our annual holiday letter, posted here for those who never got it or who just want to enjoy it again, digitally.
* * *
Happy holidays...? Well, yes. The economy (and our portfolio) notwithstanding, this has been a pretty good year for us. We hope it has been for you, too!
Jonah is in his last year of preschool and is now a member of the older cohort in the “older preschool” room at his Bright Horizons center (he likes to say he’s in OOPS: Older-Older Preschool). He’s doing great, though he misses his many friends who graduated in June and started Kindergarten this fall. Next year he’ll be in a private Kindergarten (his birthday is four days after our school district’s cut-off), so he’ll be graduating this June and heading to summer camp with his big brother. An avid swimmer, Jonah is eagerly awaiting the chance to be in the outdoor pool twice a day, weather permitting. His other main activity is karate, which he began this summer. He’ll be testing for his yellow belt in January.
Noah is also in karate (a soon-to-be blue belt) and loves to “take down” adults with grappling techniques. He’s in first grade and in his school’s gifted program. Adjusting to a schedule that includes nightly homework assignments has been a challenge for all of us, but Noah is enjoying school immensely and loves his after-school program at our local community center. He’s taken Spanish and soccer classes there, and enjoys all the arts and crafts activities available. On the weekends Noah enjoys our synagogue’s religious school and has taken occasional classes for kids at Carnegie Mellon University. He, too, is looking forward to summer camp; this past season he mastered swimming in deep water and even jumped off the diving board a few times.
Adam, as stated above, is still at PPG. It’s been a bumpy ride this year and next year promises even more challenges, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. On a personal level, Adam was very active campaigning this autumn and appreciated the boys’ company as he canvassed. He is also happy to state he kept his 2008 New Year’s resolution (well, eventually) and got in shape. He hasn’t been juggling quite as much, though that may change once the weather improves; the local park where he and some friends would meet to juggle at lunch has finally reopened. However, one of the nice benefits of PPG is its workout facilities, so—in lieu of juggling—Adam is now exercising four or more times a week and worries he may need to buy new (smaller) clothes soon.
Monica also kept her resolution and is happy to say she does have a whole new wardrobe, having lost 35 pounds between January and May ... and having kept it off since then. She joined RAND’s “Weight Watchers at Work” program at the start of the year and also started jogging (with difficulty!) once or twice a week to train for the local Susan Komen 5K Race for the Cure in May. Not only was she able to run the full 5K by Mother’s Day, but she also raised more than $500 for breast cancer research, and she ran another 5K race the following weekend (and swam/ran a duathlon in August, ran a 10K in September, and ran two more 5Ks in October and November—whew!). Not previously known for her athletic prowess, she’s enjoying her new figure and increased stamina. ("I can even keep up with the boys now, mostly...")
On the travel front, we all enjoyed a 10-day vacation in Hawaii this summer with Monica’s parents, belatedly celebrating our 10th anniversary (May 10) and Grandma Rhoda and Grandpa Bill’s 40th anniversary (March 1). We also had a lovely—and cold—trip to Chicago in March to help GGMama celebrate her birthday, and many fun trips to Maryland to visit Adam’s parents (Grandma Rebecca and Grandpa Marc). We were excited to spend a weekend in New York over 8/8/08 to attend the wedding of friends Vic & Grace. Of course, we also hosted many visits of grandparents, cousins, and friends. Thanksgiving in Maryland with the Hertzmans and Hertzman-Millers (Ruth, David, Sarah, Ilana, and Rachel), was lots of fun. And, finally, by the time you read this, we’ll be in Southern California visiting Monica’s parents and GGMama (who’s escaping the cold in Chicago). Shhhh… don’t tell the boys, but we’ll also be going to Legoland!
As the year comes to a close, we look forward to 2009 (especially January 20) and hope the coming months bring peace, health, and joy to all.
