Ford Holiday Newsletter 2014

Dear friends, family, and people we don't actually like but keep as Facebook friends so you can be jealous of us,
     We hope you are having an awesome holiday season ( except for that last group! Hope yours is just slightly above average.)  Before I begin, I must confess something...... I have been feeling very convicted. Last years letter was a LIE! ( 2013 Christmas Letter) I was trying to be humble, but it was ridiculous! You all know us well enough to know how fabulous we are!  I'm sure you saw through all the lies.  Please accept my sincerest apologies! Now for the honest to goodness truth about 2014!

    Fortunately, 2014 was a quiet year. I mean, a family can only handle so much awesomeness!  It was a great year with lots of family time and fun with friends, both old and new!  And of course no year would be complete without a Wiggles Concert!

Sydney: It's hard to believe that our baby girl is 5 years old! She completed her first year of preschool and is loving her second year.  She also tried gymnastics this past year and did really well.  Her biggest accomplishment was going from being scared in the pool, to jumping and swimming around with all by herself.

She just excels at everything she does

Nathan: Even though our precious little boy turned 2 yrs old, he has been so perfectly pleasant! He continues to be a master climber.  He got lots of time with Mommy while Sydney is at school.  I think his favorite thing this year was driving around in his Nana and Grandpa's golf cart!

Yes, we are gonna ask the doctor about his head size

Their golf cart is the envy of the community! We always ride in style

Jamie and Stephen: We know how it is anymore, you don't really care about us. Cute kids always trump parents, so we will just skip this part. You don't want to hear about our incredible lives!  We will just show you a few random photos from our vacation to the Outer Banks NC!!

I know, I know this looks fake! It's true! It's not just some random photo! We totally staged this with matching suits for our Christmas letter!

With 4 young grand kids on the beach, it always feels like you're on duty! Despite that, the sun and sand had a rejuvenating effect on my mom and dad

2014 is ending on a very sad note! Our very dear friends, Matt, Karen, Hannah, and Charlotte are moving away! We just wanted to use this opportunity (since they are probably the only ones who will read this) to express how much we love them and will miss seeing them every Sunday. When we think of fun, we think of them.  It's so hard to find other families that you can truly connect with and find a common interest! We can't wait to overstay our welcome at their new house!!!

I probably should have waited until AFTER they moved to post this letter. Things like this might be one of the reasons that he jumped on this opportunity to create some distance between Karen and I!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love,

 Stephen, Jamie, Sydney, and Nathan

5 years of parenting

Today is Sydney's 5th birthday. That means that I have been a parent for 5 years! That can't be right!?! It feels like just yesterday even though some of those days felt like an eternity and then some. I've learned a few things along the way and thought that I would jot them down!

1. I don't know anything! Yes, that's right! I know NOTHING! Then why are you listening to my advice? I'm really not sure, you should probably reevaluate your life choices! Just kidding! The only reason that I have advice is because I learn a lot after the fact. I usually feel like I am stumbling around like an idiot for each new step. ( Even with Nathan I am clueless, the 2nd kids like to change it all up on you)

2. I had no comprehension of what the word "tired" meant before kids. Same goes for the phrase "my house is so dirty!"

3. Don't judge other parents! Your kids will find a way to make you humble and put you in your place!

4. Kids only poop at the park if you have forgotten diapers

5. Don't even bother planning car trips around nap schedules. They will do the opposite of what you expect!

6. If your child finally falls asleep in the car, you will hit every red light, have to pay a toll, and/or need to stop for gas.

7. At some point you have to admit that frumpy is in fact your new style. The "I know I look like a slob, but it's okay, it was one of those days " excuse doesn't work when you say it everyday.

8. Baby food defies all the laws of gravity.

9. What once was gross is now your new normal (Being puked on really changes your perspective)

10. Toddler Law: What's mine is MINE! What's yours is MINE! What's theirs is MINE! That thing I touched before but don't even care about... MINE! That thing in the store will be MINE!

11. It matters which color cup the milk goes in!

12. Write everything down, even if you think that you will remember it all (see #2)

13. Baby socks are the devil!!

14. You just can't LET IT GO no matter how many times you try to get the song out of your head!

15. Know where all the local playgrounds are; it will save your life.

16. Can't afford to take them to an amusement park? Just let them ride the mall elevator a million times.

17. Establish kid friendly alternatives to swear words! Even if you didn't swear before, you'll need them!

18.  Your parents are smiling because you are raising a mini you and watching someone else go through what they went through is hysterical.

19. Cuddles are the best ever!!!

20. You know you know more than this but..... that whole new understanding of the word "tired" thing.... Can. Not. Type. Anymore....... soooooo sleeee..........

unfit mother

      I had no intention of writing about this. I was trying to block it out of my memory, but Syd keeps talking about it and how some kids in her class got metals.  Metals what for, you ask?  The Race for Education! If you know me, you can probably see where this is going!
     This happened a while ago, so I don't remember all the details, but I know it was right after a very busy weekend.  I really didn't put too much brain power into planning my attendance.  They said parents could come and show support and help teachers keep track of the kids. In case you don't know what the Race for Education is, it's a fundraiser where friends and family pledge to give money for each lap the kid completes.  They're preschoolers so it couldn't be that big of a deal, right!?!
     We stayed after drop off  instead of coming home and having to turn right back around. I grabbed the back up stroller that we always keep in the van and walked around with Nathan's buddy ( one of the grandmothers from drop off/pick up!) After a while more parents started trickling down to the track area.  I noticed some moms in workout clothes and some jogging strollers. A lot of moms wear work out clothes during drop off, so I didn't think anything of it. Then I started noticing more and more of them and then some dads in full running gear. I even saw a very pregnant mom looking ready to run. OH NO! This can't be good!
   I took a deep breath and reminded myself that Syd always ends up making me carrying her on my back when we walk home from the park. I don't need to worry! We'll just walk around and have fun.  The kids lined up and then started running. I kept looking towards the back of the group for Syd. I couldn't find her.  Stephen's aunt (one of the teacher's aids) walked by and asked if I was going to join Syd. I told her that I couldn't find her. She pointed way up ahead. WHAT. THE. HECK. My kid was running like crazy! I felt so deceived! This kid's been holding out on me! NEVER CARRYING HER AGAIN!
     I decided to catch her on the next round. I saw her and went to move, but the stroller wouldn't budge on the stone track. Well, crap! I was going to have to carry Nathan. At least Syd was almost done her second lap, she HAD to be pretty worn out by now! We went and caught up with her.
    SERIOUSLY, WHOSE KID IS THIS? That couldn't be my kid!! She kept wanting to run! There I was, the person who hates running more than anything else in the world, running in old jeans that kept sliding down and carrying a 30 lbs toddler on my hip. I was extra lazy that morning and haphazardly pulled my hair up and just slipped my already kinda tied sneakers on my feet.  I am sure that I looked completely ridiculous!  We ran for part of the lap and then I had to readjust the bouncing Nathan ( who was saying "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! with each step) and walked the rest. Oh the awkwardness! Oh the.... i don't even know how to describe it!
    Fortunately, Stephen's aunt ended up on the sidelines with some kids so she took Nathan.  Syd and I walked/ran a couple more laps. I prayed and prayed that I had remembered to put on deodorant that morning and that I didn't make it into any of the photos being taken.  We survived, but Syd definitely did not have an award winning amount of laps under her belt!!
    And in case you were wondering, Nathan and I are gonna start training for the next one! Maybe I'll get us matching jogging suits and sweatbands. You'll probably see us jogging along the road, Wiggles songs playing on our ipods. Actually, probably not! I really freakin hate running! Hopefully, I'll just get a case of appendicitis or something next time:)