Obviously, no one can really predict what will happen year to year, but I have the strong sense that once we’ve jumped the monumental first hurdle of not registering for public school and begun our first projects we won’t be turning back. This may seem like a pretty brazen or extremely naive thing to say, but I have a few reasons that make it somewhat educated. I have yet to meet a single homeschooled child or homeschooling parent who has regretted their choice.  I’m sure they’re out there, but I don’t think they’re anywhere close to the majority. Every parent I’ve talked to immediately lights up with how amazing it has been for their entire family, not just the kids. They’re a little bit like talking to a newly engaged twenty-year-old : you’re happy for them but their enthusiasm and giddiness also makes you feel like you drank decaf that morning and you can’t help but wonder if they’re overcompensating for the struggles by being overly enthusiastic.

There’s also my heart. I think I know to my core (when I am still and not scared and trusting that we’ll all be ok) that it is best for our oldest and probably will be best for our youngest, too. This could change, but as long as I feel that way, I can’t ignore it. I’ve tried, really hard, and it keeps coming back. We want our boys to be able to pursue their passions with abandon. If they want to dig in the dirt for an hour, they can. If they want to paint all day, they can. If they want to do written-based work in the car on a trip to the mountains, followed by a hike, so be it. We want them to thoroughly enjoy learning and not be schooled. We want our life to be an education and a lot of fun. And there are many more reasons backed up by reading we’ve done- I’ll share those another time.

But it is so crazy! I KNOW! I get scared. Every time someone talks about our neighborhood school positively, I doubt our choice. I freak out a little bit every time I meet a weird homeschooler (we all know them- though I also wonder if we’d all be weird if we weren’t trying to shape ourselves to fit in at school because we would be more unique, more ourselves.) I wonder if we’ll find community in which we fit in well. I wonder if I’ll be lonely and missing my friends with children in public schools. I wonder if we’ll all feel left out from school’s big events.

Despite all those doubts and some yet listed, kindergarten still feels like a no-brainer. Our neighborhood school requires full-day K and you have to pay a hefty monthly tuition to compensate for the lack of full-day funding. And since the school has chosen to focus on providing language immersion and academics, there is not a single dedicated art teacher for any form of art. It is totally up to the classroom teacher to provide music, visual arts, theatre, dance or anything else. I’m sure the teachers do their best to fit these in when possible, but these are Charlie’s passions and we don’t think a full day of dealing with 27+ other classmates and their behaviors while listening to and completing academic lessons he already knows is worth the second language exposure. Especially at the cost of missing the chance to pursue his passions and have some afternoon rest before a group activity. We could supplement art in the afternoons, but I am really wary of over-scheduling the boys and know he also wants to play soccer, pursue music and have downtime. Charlie still sleeps 12-hours a night and definitely needs it. Packing in activities at the cost of play time, family time and sleep has no appeal to me right now.

So, we’re going to take it year by year. Kindergarten will be a great low pressure chance to see how we like home-based education. We will get to know a few local homeschooling groups (Seattle is overflowing with opportunity in this regard), Charlie will likely continue with the Children’s Theatre next year and his group-based activities beyond that will come from sports, church, playdates, and any other extracurriculars that float his boat. He’s already got the K-level academic basics down, so continuing to build his literacy skills, math knowledge base and general world knowledge will be a continuation of how we already function.

We have not run into this decision blindly. Who the heck would do that? A stay at home mom who gives up six hours a day to garden, cook, exercise, meet friends and run errands by herself, uninterrupted?!? This choice does not come by easy. In fact, I spent a good year incredibly torn because I felt homeschooling would be the best education for our boys but not if my heart wasn’t in it. I didn’t feel up to it and I was concerned I was going to be angry and eventually bitterness would sink in. So, we resigned ourselves to the public school, allowing cognitive dissonance to do it’s work and make us feel fine about our choice. “It’s a bilingual school! It’s going to be a brand new building! Everyone we meet there is happy! Our boys will have more fun!” There’s a lot you can tell yourself to make it all feel alright and I found every line, forgetting about homeschooling and releasing the guilt.

With the passing of a few months, life got much easier for us. Harry had a steady income, Mr. Toddler  was safer, more independent, and not requiring constant attention. The boys were starting to play together long enough that I would dare bake or cook while they were awake without fear of setting the house on fire. I had an outlet for regular exercise while they were cared for and life was much, much better. I was really enjoying my role.

So, into that environment walked my brother, after months at being at sea. He is one of several incredibly bright people I know who were failed by the public school system. Bored to death, needing creative outlets, and happier learning from a book than from teachers (he was probably much smarter than most in many regards), he skipped high school classes to sit in the public library and read. He got kicked out of high school and later passed the GED with a nearly perfect score (without studying, of course). He’s a voracious reader to this day and got off the ship to tell us about an article he read at sea about a few homeschooler’s experiences. The minute he started talking I got a little anxious, sipped on my red wine a little faster. I had grown accustomed to the idea of having time to myself once Miles started preschool, of participating in Charlie’s classroom as a happy volunteer, of having instant community from his classroom peers and more friends for him. But, he got me thinking again. (Harry didn’t need any convincing. He never left the homeschooling-is-best boat but always supported my decision to not do it if I wasn’t passionate about it since I would be doing the bulk of the implementation.)

I was scared, I wanted to fight it, but I eventually realized that I could really enjoy it. That maybe I was actually in a spot to thrive in the role. Our family has a pretty amazing set-up for it right now. Harry works from home and has some flexibility in schedule. He often has jobs that he can do from anywhere there’s internet connection. So, I began dreaming. What about January in Florida, escaping Seattle’s nasty rain, enjoying sunshine and beach, and learning from Harry’s mom’s home? What about June in Colorado, enjoying a longer summer than Seattle provides and spending time with all our family there? And dare I really dream, what about a year or two in Europe? Introducing our kids to all my Dutch friends from my exchange student year, visiting other friends scattered around the continent? These make my heart jump with delight. And yet I fear holding onto them too tightly because they might not happen.

They may not ever be the reality of our homeschooling. Harry’s job could change and he could be gone from our home 10 hours a day with very little flexibility. That’s when I contemplate the flexibility of parent-guided learning in Seattle (I like this term a little better than homeschooling since we will definitely not be sitting at home day in, day out.). My mind goes to some typical “schoolwork” / paperwork, but lots of projects, volunteering, hikes, beach trips, downtown library visits, walks through the zoo, classes (there is an astounding number of really cool extracurricular activities for homeschooling kids in the city) and maybe even a co-op for some academics. I want our boys to leave our home knowing how to grow their own food and cook many dishes well, so gardening and cooking will be regularly incorporated as well.

I have also had the pleasure of working closely and being friends with someone who homeschooled her two boys, now in college, and saw the incredible projects they achieved, the quality of their writing, the passion they maintained for less than mainstream interests like geology (that likely would’ve been squashed by peers in public schools). She owns her own business, her husband worked contracts and the two of them pieced it together to both handle their boys’ learning. I have other friends who grew up spending hours every day just playing with their siblings because they completed their “work” in a few hours. Some completed lots of workbooks without much adult interaction, others completed amazing projects that were very dynamic. You don’t have to guess what we’ll be doing.

But doubt creeps in. I ask myself if I’m crazy. I hear that a dear friend’s son, who is also one of Charlie’s best buddies, will be moving into our school zone and I immediately want to enroll Charlie, too. But I think about it and know that the move feels better for me than for Charlie. I am more worried about my loneliness than the boys being socially isolated. I think to my childhood and the best times I had with friends. All were after school, either in each others’ homes or in extra-curricular activities. These things will be easy to work in, especially when my boys are not worn-out from a day of school and don’t have homework. I think about how many close friends I had that I really delighted in and know we only need a handful of great companions for the boys to be in quality relationships, growing friendships.

So, consider this my announcement of yet another unusual step by our family. I am comforted deeply that all our past choices that felt stupid, nutty or risky have all been worth it. I think this will be the case again but I can’t always walk boldly in that space. I try to keep my eye on the beauty that will be found in simplicity, the fun that will be had, the passions that will be allowed to fully blossom, the relationships that will be deep and rich. If you catch me forgetting these things, I would love a nod in that direction as opposed to a trip to the looney bin. And if you know of fantastic resources, I am always happy to add them to our ever-growing pile. Thank you for supporting us in our many less than traditional ways, dear friends and family!

Harry & my first big shift with food came as a result of a year of very limited income.  We did not want to sacrifice quality or health and live off Top Ramen and mac & cheese, so to help stretch our food budget we either eliminated or significantly reduced consumption of meat, juice, alcohol, and other unhealthy foods.  We also stopped eating out or buying coffee and pastries (one of our favorite weekend traditions), apart from special or rare occasions.

Through that year we got quite used to eating this way and maintained many of the habits once Harry had a full-time job.  I don’t enjoy handling nor cooking most meat so the only forms I began incorporating semi-regularly were ground buffalo and wild salmon.  Additionally, I learned much more about gardening, had a huge amount of bed space to do so, and quickly fell in love with growing food.  Last summer and fall I barely ever bought vegetables at the market because our garden produced enough for our family, and often enough to share or store.  This perpetuated our mostly vegetarian diet because it was the most convenient, healthy and economical way for us to eat.  I also believe this helped me become a much better, more flexible cook.  I had to learn new ways to use the same vegetable without us going crazy at the sight of it or how to incorporate a bunch of random veggies into a dish before they went bad.  I now have several meals that I can cook without following a recipe that work as great vehicles for leftover produce (homemade pizza, pasta dishes, salads, enchiladas, frittatas, etc…)

The next steps we took came because of articles, books, and discussions about the food industry.  Not fast food (we’d watched SupersizeMe years prior and have successfully avoided McDs, as well as most of it’s equals, since), but the major players behind most “food” products on the USA grocery stores shelves.  Food, Inc. was probably the most powerful catalyst for change, but Pollan’s articles/books and other key players in the slow food movement have all contributed to our baby steps.  Each bit of knowledge has led to either a softening towards change or immediate change.  It’s definitely a bit like peeling an onion-layer after layer reveals something new, usually equally pungent.  Sometimes we’re ready to digest what we learn, other times we’re not.

We have found the process extremely rewarding.  I am really enjoying providing healthier, more sustainable food options for our family that are balanced out by delicious treats.  (In our home, very little sugar in the three big meals a day leaves plenty of room for some sweet treats as snacks!) I am definitely doing a lot more dishes, pots & pans nearly every meal, but the truth is that only adds about 5 minutes of clean-up per meal.  I have grown very accustomed to the bulk food sections of stores and now know which stores I can no longer shop at for just about anything.  Recently, several grocery store clerks looked at me like I was crazy after asking if they had spelt flour.  One questioned whether it truly existed and followed up that question with “Is it for Passover?”  So funny.  Also, none of us are missing our old breakfast staples like I anticipated.  We are enjoying our oatmeal, granola, pancakes or eggs for breakfast.  Charlie has stopped asking for boxed mac & cheese unless he sees it in the grocery store.  He got it as a treat with a babysitter one night and we’ve decided it’ll be saved for just that occasion for two reasons, to please the child’s palate and help us get out the door without tears.   I have seen substantial improvement in his willingness to try new foods and eat what’s put before him.  This has probably been a big enough reward in itself to keep us motivated.

It’s an exciting time for us with the baby on the way but I feel like these changes are sustainable.  Additionally, we will probably have groceries delivered to home for awhile, which along with buying a bit more time and keeping healthy foods coming our way, will probably lower our grocery bill because there won’t be any impulse purchases.  I’ve also stocked our freezer with lots of beans, soups and breads that we can pull out as needed.  (To help prevent us from going to the grocery store and buying a frozen pizza, for example…but again, there’s room for grace.  There will undoubtedly be those days.)  There are no vegetables growing in pots on our front porch, like I’d hoped to have, and at this point I wonder if I’d have any chance of keeping them alive.  (I think we’ll be ready for summer veggies but missed the cool weather spring veggie window.)  I am sad I won’t be able to rely on my own produce like I could last year, but hey, at least we’re in Seattle surrounded by farmer’s markets in every neighborhood come May!  And the year-long Ballard market is so fantastic.  It helps tremendously to be in a community filled with believers in the importance of changing our food system, and even moreso to have close friends walking the same path, sharing recipes and meals with us.  (Have you watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution?  Such a great start…)

Harry and I are not black and white about this, and Harry’s particularly good at keeping me gray given my tendency to be all-or-nothing about choices.  We’re going to eat whatever meals people share with us and be thankful for that time of fellowship and food.  We’re going to enjoy meals at restaurants.  And while we’d like to support restaurants that avoid factory farmed meat, it won’t always happen or be possible.  (We are discovering that vegetarian options at restaurants often taste better, though!)  We’re striving to do our best but there’s plenty of room for grace.  This is a journey.  We understand that others may not agree, are at different spots in their own journey, or don’t know about the situation.  It is all relatively new to us, too, and we’re very aware of how much more we have to learn.  We love to dialogue about it and have gleaned tremendous amounts of insight from those further along this road, as well as from those who aren’t on it at all.

There is so much more to write about, but I’ll end with a little of what has been required to make this happen: careful time management and planning of social events during the week, a definite dedication to cooking, reading more recipes to expand my repertoire, and initially, more trips to grocery stores because I couldn’t find things I needed at certain ones.  It all requires a mindfulness that wasn’t necessary when I knew I had some packaged item in the freezer we could cook up.  In a crunch, stovetop oatmeal or plain whole wheat pasta just isn’t as appealing as potstickers and frozen pizza.

Charlie appears to not forget anything.  I’m starting to wonder if he has a memory like his Uncle Steve.  If so, he’ll remember nearly everything from 18-months on.  Yikes.  It takes him just a few readings of a most books to memorize them.  He’s repeating segments of movies, books, conversations, etc… that were heard months ago.  He’s also a big word-lover.  He loves rhyming and making up new words.  He’s beginning to break apart the sounds in words and loves telling us the beginning sounds that he’s hearing-  “Mama, scuba starts with scoop.”  I *love* these blossoming pre-literacy skills and probably delight in this too much!  (This is a good reminder that I need to stop saying “crap.”  If this comes out of his mouth, I’m totally to blame.  I seem to have had it spit out a few times in the last few weeks…mostly in the form of crappers.  Maybe people will think he’s talking about people who capture animals since he’s still fronting his /k/ sound.  Phew, I’m off the hook!)

He almost always brings smiles to the faces of those who meet him.  Today, while picking out his birthday treat at Fran’s chocolates (his choice over cupcakes-see description attached to picture in last post), the employees were smitten.  “Isn’t he so cute?”  We hear this a lot.  It is rather endearing to have a three foot tall little boy approach you confidently and clearly ask for a chocolate that is “far away” (huh?!).  When provided with his choices, Charlie picked the “blue chocolate”, which happened to be an oolong tea truffle.  I think he was drawn to it’s lovely blue flower.  True to habit, he then made sure that Harry & I each picked one out, too.  He is king of sharing and amazingly adept at keeping people in the loop.  Even absolute strangers will get offered his snacks if they merely glance at him sideways.

According to Charlie, he’s a “big boy” and he’s “huge.”  These were some of his first words this morning after we wished him a happy birthday.  While Harry and I don’t use the term big boy, many people do, and I love that Charlie equates it with size right now.  Overnight, he grew three feet in his mind.  I’d much rather him think this than that he is somehow more responsible now so that he feels pressured to act older than he is.  Let’s face it, he’s already three going on thirty with his “no thank you”s and “how are you today, papa?”s and “I’m well”s.

Annual Shots:

As all parents would write, there is too much to say about him than can be written.  Therefore, in an effort to remember the little details that are too quickly forgotten and keep our extended family up to date, I am going to write here more often!  Until next post, trust that the little boy is a top-notch three year old.  Deeply loved, loves deeply.  Happy Birthday, sweet pea.

Harry’s maternal grandmother, Gretchen Tadlock, passed away this weekend, just days after her 82nd birthday. Harry is with his family in Louisiana for her memorial service tomorrow. I am really sad to not be there, but thankful we get to visit for a cousin’s wedding over Labor Day weekend. We are so sad that MawMaw won’t get to see Charlie during that visit. She would’ve adored him at this age and I think he would’ve loved many of her antics. I think she would’ve made him laugh and have no doubts he would’ve charmed her.

The part of Charlie that reminds me 100% of the Tadlocks is a piece of his personality that usually comes out at dinnertime. He completely lets his guard down and tells silly stories, makes faces and enjoys his company. After Harry and I became engaged, the Tadlocks threw a lovely party for us. Afterwards, MawMaw and some of her children and grandchildren played cards, all the while teasing each other and having a great time. I knew I was in for fun. I absolutely adored this playful aspect of the family and was charmed and entertained by MawMaw’s continuous attempts to change the card game rules while her sons lovingly kept her true.

So, MawMaw, this video is for you. Charlie’s telling Steve, Harry and I made-up stories while we eat dinner. We wish he could’ve told you some in September. We will miss you!

charlies-dinner-stories2

• Papa, Mama
• Pawpaw, Mimi
• Grandmaw, Grandpaw
• Grammy Ellen, Grandpaw Jud
• Uncle Steve
• kitty cat
• monkey
• dinosaur
• light
• bed
• Uncle Steve’s bed
• Mama and Papa’s bed
• Elvis (his sock monkey)
• choo choo
• a few other things I didn’t understand

Given that the incantation probably would have gone on into the night had there been more time, consider yourself prayed for and healed.

Favorite Books

Kathleen: Top vote goes to Three Cups of Tea for inspiration factor. Greg Mortenson is now one of my living heroes. This book documents what I believe to be the best long term anti-terrorism strategy possible. (I have an admittedly limited knowledge base.) Reading the book, along with Khaled Mosseini’s phenomenal books and seeing Charlie Wilson’s War, I’m horrified by the potential consequences of our nation’s current actions in the Middle East. We need a thousand more Greg Mortensons and a government willing to fund them instead of bombs.

Predictably Irrational provided excellent insight into the array of subconcious processes that affect our decision making. A fantastic read for election year, as well as prior to the holidays. The writing isn’t quite as excellent as the content.

Finally, I must mention The First Circle. When Solzhenitsyn died in August I had yet to read one of his books and this was the only one offered at our local library.  It did not dissapoint.

Charlie: Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go is an enormous hit, as is Sandra Boynton’s A to Z (he likes acting it out).

Harry: I have a crush on Steve Martin and so loved Born Standing Up. I’d been wanting to read The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language for a couple years and found copies at our local library; I thought they were brilliant, especially for the potential applications outside of architecture. The Spirit of St. Louis was very inspiring; I can’t believe those people accomplished what they did with the available technology. I also loved Boo and Baa Have Company.

Favorite Music

Kathleen: Uh oh. Here we go again with the dreaded music question. I admit, I am completely out of it with regards to new music. I must sing “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Five Little Ducks” more than I listen to all adult songs combined. That being said, For The Kids continues to be the most tolerable kids album in our household. Please feel free to suggest some good music!

Charlie: “Baa Baa Black Sheep”

Harry: I’m in the same boat as Kathleen. I don’t think I listened to anything released in 2008. But I created an online playlist of some of my faves that you can listen to. Use the player below or click the “online playlist” link.

Favorite Movies

Kathleen: My most memorable, moving, and unusual movies include The Visitor, Children of Heaven, The Story of the Weeping Camel, and Seven Samurai. I’m finding more and more that independent and foreign films seem to be the best stories for me. (This question was so much easier to answer this year now that we have Netflix!!!).

Harry: Simon’s Cat, The Lives of Others, Children of Heaven, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Whale Rider, God Grew Tired of Us, The Fog of War, Spellbound, Helvetica, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Kite Runner, The Visitor, and Seven Samurai.

Big Challenges

Kathleen: Living simply and contentedly. Finding ways to balance our immediate family time with all our jobs, extended family time, and other necessary aspects of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. I nearly crashed and burned multiple times this year from not nurturing my faith, health, and social life.

Charlie: stairs

Harry: Finding direction. This year I really struggled with the fact that I will never fully explore all the areas of life that I’m interested in. I’ve always known this to be true but it really sunk in this year. And now combine that with an inability to decide on one area of focus and you’ve got a recipe for a bad French movie. 2009 will be the year of my great redemption story or the year I buy a Porsche on credit. I’m also tired of being heavier than I should so look for New, Improved, Buns-of-Carbon-Nanotube Harry™ at the end of next year.

Name Something You’re Particularly Proud Of

Kathleen: I am most proud of supporting Harry in his dream to work on Jetrecord full-time. I needed to let go of a lot of false securities and fears to do this. This decision has provided deep satisfaction for Harry, amazing times for our family, and no regrets. I am also proud of myself for going back to work in the hospitals. It was rather daunting to enter medical speech-language pathology after several years off. Neither of these actions would’ve been possible without the incredible support we’ve had from our families.

Harry: Even more than Jetrecord itself, I’m proud of the hard work Kathleen and I did to get to a place where we could make that decision to go for it with confidence and joy, even in the face of such great risk. It’s funny, looking back to February, how small that risk seems now.

Best Surprise

Kathleen: Finding out that Harry’s brother Steve was moving to Colorado. We are deeply blessed to have him close by now…and Charlie adores his “Uncle Cheese.” One of the simplest, sweetest surprises was making my best friend’s baby laugh for the first time. I didn’t know it was her first laugh, and when her parents watched wide-eyed as one of their twins giggled, I was overcome with the emotion of being part of that sacred moment. It was also especially special since I had flown to Seattle for the express purpose of being with that friend and meeting her little girls.

Harry: I’m really glad my brother moved here. Now we just need to get the other one.

Favorite Time of Day

Kathleen: I love dinnertime at our household. Even though I’m usually exhausted, it’s wonderful to be together as a family, try to have conversations with Harry, and listen to Charlie’s thoughts on the important matters of our family.   It’s also one of the silliest times of day for us and I treasure our laughs. I know you didn’t ask, but my least favorite time of day would be 3:45am.

Charlie: Mealtimes and the crack of dawn. While we’re still half asleep and grumbling about the unfairness of morning, Charlie’s already running to bring us multiple toys and making us laugh with his cheerfulness and enthusiasm for a new day. (The kid does sleep 12 hours a night.)

Harry: Night night time with Charlie.

Favorite Foods

Kathleen: I tasted the most incredible chocolate bar of my life at Chocolopolis in Seattle. With regards to healthy options, I think sushi still tops my list of favorite foods. I would be happy to eat it every day. I also really enjoyed the tomatoes from my garden and the raspberries & rhubarb from Harry Sr’s!

Charlie: mac sheese (mac & cheese), boo sheese (bleu cheese), appuhsauh (applesauce), too-ties (cookies), tate (cake), umnas (bananas)

Harry: I’m kinda partial to yellow curry from Thai Kitchen. Kathleen also received a dangerous recipe for Dutch Babies from a friend in Seattle. And I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow the desire for pizza.

Favorite Websites

Kathleen: TED is filled with incredible talks by experts in technology, science, the arts and global issues. I am often awestruck by the content. It’s a bit like getting to attend the best lectures at Ivy League schools for free. Last year I shared about joining Facebook. I admit to a love-hate relationship with it now. I love seeing regular updates from so many of my friends. I hate the superficiality of much of it. I definitely would never want it to replace conversations. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to stop looking at it as often and pursue writing more emails and making more phone calls to friends.

Harry: Netflix is one of the most functional sites I use although I would love to see much better organization. I love TED, as Kathleen does, for its content. I love FFFFOUND! for design inspiration. I’m on Facebook but I hate it. (I actually have this fantasy that I’ll wake up one day and Facebook will be gone. No explanation. None needed.) I use Twitter to communicate, somewhat unsuccessfully, with the outside world. That’s another love-hate relationship. I’m redesigning my web site this year (again) and I’m going back to plain ‘ol web pages. I’m fascinated by and fearful of, perhaps paranoically, the slow, automated integration of every web site with every part of my life, even though I’m also partially responsible.

Favorite Song Charlie Makes You Play on the Piano

Kathleen: “Pop Goes the Weasel,” hands down.

Harry: It’s a tie between “Chariots of Fire” and “Axel F.”

Least Favorite Activity You Must Do Daily

Kathleen: Washing out poopy diapers in the toilet. If I had to clean toilets everyday, these two activities would tie. I am really glad we use cloth diapers, but this is definitely not the best smelling part of my day.

Charlie: Go nigh’ nigh’.

Harry: Yep, me too. I don’t like go nigh’ nigh’.

Favorite Thing Charlie Says

Kathleen: So many things!!! The SLP in me adores every utterance. “Mama, Charlie eat mac cheese yesterday.” I hear this at least five times a day. I also liked it when, after feeling my wet hair, Charlie once said, “mama, turn off.” Apparently wet hair isn’t his thing. The other cute phrase we heard all Christmas season was, “Charlie get Christmas tree basement yesterday” (and he pronounces Christmas tree as “piss chee”). We had pulled our Christmas tree up from its basement storage place to set it up for the holidays without realizing this would have a profound impact on our child. Maybe he thinks we are storing streetlights or bushes down there that we’ll bring up and decorate for the next holiday. Last one- I like that “UPS truck” sounds like “peace truck.”

Charlie: Seems to really like saying “Baa!” and “Mac sheese mac sheese mac sheese!”

Harry: I love that Charlie will continue addressing his stuffed robot until the robot acknowledges him. It doesn’t matter if Kathleen or I answer him back. If he’s talking to Robot, Robot should answer. And this means Kathleen or I must acknowledge him in Robot’s voice while holding Robot.

Favorite Animal

Kathleen: Still love dolphins. Of the animals I regularly see, I’m quite fond of one of our neighbor’s dogs.

Charlie: “Tee-tat.” He loves kitties and even has a make-believe one he holds in his hand on occasion. We must pet it gently.

Harry: I like tee-tats, too, and am secretly hoping we get one this year. But it’s a secret. I also enjoyed seeing a coyote in the field behind our house.

Least Favorite of Charlie’s Toys

Kathleen: I grew so tired of reading a particular book that I hid it. I brought it out days later, but I could not label the Cars and Trucks and Things that Go one more time at that moment. Alligator cars and cheese cars are cool, but man, twenty times a day for weeks on end?! I’m used to his noisy, battery operated toys now so they don’t bother me like they used to. I am also a little tired of rolling rings down the slide and fetching them from our basement stairs.

Harry: I will shoot the next person who gives us a battery operated toy of any kind. Okay, I won’t shoot, but you will walk with a severe limp.

Favorite Campaign Moment

Kathleen: The Obama family walking out on the platform together for the President-elect’s acceptance speech. I cried. I am thrilled he will be our President in three weeks!!!

Harry: Obama’s A More Perfect Union speech.

Favorite News Story

Kathleen: The Obama campaign and the election kept my attention for most of the summer and fall. I got great laughs from Jon Stewart’s segments mocking election coverage, too.

Harry: Easily, the election of Barack Obama.

Favorite Font

Kathleen: After watching the movie, Helvetica, I’m aware that there’s a lot more to this answer than I could’ve ever dreamed. I like the familiarity of Helvetica and certainly the positive associations Gotham provides (it’s the typeface of the Obama “Change” campaign).

Charlie: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom‘s font.  He saw the same type and colors on a FedEx truck once and started singing the alphabet song.

Harry: Delicious

Favorite Speech-Language Pathology Area of Practice

Kathleen: I yearn to work with child literacy development again. I am strongly considering starting some part-time private practice literacy work this year, in addition to my current hospital work. I am thrilled to be practicing in acute care again, too. I am fascinated by swallowing disorders, diagnosis and treatment.

Harry: I’m a big fan of Barium enemas although I don’t get to administer them as often as I’d like. Wait, that’s Speech-Language Proctology.

Hats Off To

Kathleen: Angie, for raising newborn twins and a toddler with amazing grace. Our parents, for supporting us immensely through this crazy year and embracing their days with Charlie. Harry Sr, for his extensive hands-on help and consultant role with my gardening and landscaping work. My sister & her husband, for weathering great challenges this year and coming out dry! My brother, for graduating from Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Harry: My brother, Steve, for taking a big chance moving here. Our family, for their huge support during another crazy year.

Inspired By

Kathleen: Harry has been my deepest inspiration this year. The lessons I’ve learned from him have changed the way I face the future. His courage to leave a secure job to dream big, incredible talent at thinking outside the box, and pursuit of what’s best for our family and his career have been nothing short of inspirational. It takes great faith to pursue dreams, and even more so when they are countercultural. I love that Harry has lived out our beliefs, priorities and definition of success. I am now much more willing to think big for myself.

Harry: I’m inspired by Kathleen’s steadfastness, dedication, and discipline, three qualities of which I need so much more. And whether he knows it or not, my other brother, James, inspires me with his relentless pursuit of his own dreams in music.

That’s a Wrap

Thanks for joining us again this year. We’re looking forward to all that 2009 has in store and we hope this letter finds you in good company. Per our usual finale, here’s a slideshow of some of our favorite photos from 2008.

Love, Kathleen, Harry, and Charlie

In case my voice can influence anyone enough to change their vote, hence helping me actually vote, Obama is my person. I’m working hard to get Charlie to line up his babbling to say his name. I even heard Canadian Geese flying over the house say “Barack!” today…

What are you happiest about?

Kathleen: Having a baby.
Harry: Having a baby.

What’s the baby’s name?

Kathleen: Justin Uhlotta
Harry: Asurp Rize

No, really

…did some of you fall for that last year? We know you did. Here’s the birth announcement we posted last year.

Share a memorable laugh you had

Harry: These are two of my favorites: Charlie and the Crazy Cow; The Hand

Kathleen: I like Harry’s choices, as well as a night not so long ago when Harry talked while sucking in air and I communicated only through gesturing. Harry’s inhalation comments made me laugh so hard that I was crying.

If you could walk through any door, what would you like it to open to?

Kathleen: The honest answer is the inside of our friends’ homes in Seattle.

Harry: The honest answer is the inside of one of these.

Who is your favorite neighborhood cat?

Kathleen: Do coyotes count?

Harry: Yeah, I think the coyotes eat the cats around here because I’ve never seen one.

Will you be happy to say goodbye to anything from 2007?

Kathleen: Moving.

Harry: If I’m honest, my job at UW. I enjoyed the people, of course, but the job dynamics didn’t fit my personality. I was there 6 years, probably 4 too many.

Who has inspired you?

Kathleen: Harry. Charlie. Angie. Nickie.

Harry: Kathleen is my hero. I’m inspired by her endless thoughtfulness for Charlie, me, her family, and her friends. She has more care and concern for people than anyone I know.

When do you feel like time flies?

Kathleen: When I reflect on how much Charlie has changed since birth!!! Otherwise, it’s felt quite slow this year.

Harry: Working on Jetrecord. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Any favorite movies or videos?

Kathleen: All our videos of Charlie on Vimeo. Bourne Ultimatum. Ocean’s 13.

Harry: Dramatic Prairie Dog, I Trusted You, Beverly Hills Cop, Bridge to Terabithia (watched without sound on the plane to Louisiana), Superbad, and surprisingly, Blades of Glory. Yet again we’re way behind the times on movies. We became Netflix members this year so I hope we’ll at least catch a few recent releases.

Any favorite music or books?

Kathleen: I’m still playing the same music from last year’s post! I finally read One Hundred Years of Solitude which was incredible, but probably not a good choice when I’m feeling a bit of solitude myself these days…

Harry: As for music I discovered The Acorn this year. I also bought Radiohead’s new album In Rainbows and I love it. Sadly, no books to mention. And really, my music appreciation has been restricted to passive listening at work so I’m not sure that counts, either. Maybe four years from now when someone buys the business for $20M I’ll take some time to read fiction again.

Favorite web sites?

Kathleen: Same answer as last year: “I’m not much of a web surfer, so my vote is for my email account. Harry always shows me funny sites, so I get to see the good stuff without searching for it.” Although—and I’m hesitant to admit—I joined Facebook after getting roped in by a friend (you know who you are!).

Harry: Tip: for the last few years I’ve found all my interesting sites from two places: Delicious/popular and kottke.org. Of course there’s more going on out there but that’s where I start. I joined Twitter in March. Interesting communication medium.

Other than the baby, what are you looking forward to this year?

Kathleen: For the first time in my life, I have almost no idea what this year will bring…apart from spending most of my time with Charlie. I hope to get back to work (very) part-time if we can figure out good care for Charlie and I hope to visit Seattle. I am looking forward to starting the seeds of new friendships and fellowship, growing relationships in Colorado, and the treasured conversations with friends of old.

Harry: The day after Christmas this year I realized that I have everything in life that I’d ever hoped for. That said, I’m looking forward to opening the doors on Jetrecord for the second year in a row.

The End.

As always, we update Loveoirs from time to time with our thoughts so you can keep up with what we’re doing. Our photos (all 2,700 of them) are still on Flickr and we’ve put together a set of 2007 highlights to spare all of you who aren’t his grandparents from looking through our hundreds of pictures of Charlie. Our videos are on Vimeo. Everything else will at least be mentioned here.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Imagine your next-door neighbor is shooting men, women, and children on the sidewalk with a rifle. You’d call the police as fast as possible, wouldn’t you?

Now imagine your government is doing the same thing. Who do you call?