Christmas With You

Owen & Kyle Exactly Two Years Ago, age 18 months

Dear Kyle & Owen,
Someday maybe one or both of you will decide to read this blog. If you don't, I hope that I'll remember to print out some of the posts for you so that you'll see at least a few. Either way, I hope you'll read this letter someday. Because no matter what happens down the road --no matter what-- I want you to know that now, this time of your lives --this time of our life-- is truly, sincerely, utterly magical. I am a mother, and biased for sure (probably many mothers feel the way I do right now), but I have to confess that I honestly believe that I have the most adorable, most fun, most FULL OF LIFE little three year olds that ever lived. You two are high maintenance in many departments (like the structure, discipline, constant-supervision, and consistent-behavior-modification departments!! LOL!), but within that solid structure that you both so desperately need (which we are working our tails of every day to provide for you), you thrive. You two are thriving. The truth is that you've been thriving since we got you, but especially since the photo taken above. Right around then (about a year after coming home) you two took off like rockets shooting straight up high. And you haven't stopped. You're like a life force in and unto yourselves. You live the way I try to live: savoring every moment, living in the moment, living it up, and making the most of everything. You don't look back. You don't dwell on disappointment or critique. You ignore negativity. You smile in the face of things that other kids your age throw themselves on the floor fussing about. You take the bull by the horns and you don't look back. You are living. In the present. In the real world. But the real world is, for you, a place of full immersion, a place of opportunity, a place of fun, a place of open connection, a place of magic, a place of true living. And during a season like this --the Christmas Season-- nothing compares to spending it with you two. Nothing. You're like a dream. You make the season a dream. It is all magic for you. This past weekend we left our camera on the shelf. But it is all captured in my mind. Friday night at Lehigh, at my Department Holiday Party, you delighted everyone there. You love parties, even "Lehigh Parties." You high-fived with the football and basketball stars. The college girls went ga-ga for you. My graduate students were enamored with you. My colleagues were delighted with you. You grooved to the DJ's music. When a break-dancing troop finished their performance you two took center stage, break-danced the best you could, and stole the show. There wasn't a person in the place who wasn't grinning from ear to ear watching you. It was a gift to be your parents that night. Saturday we went to your school's big winter festival: The River Valley Waldorf School's Winter Faire. The school was transformed into a magical winter fairytale land. It was all real for you-- your exploration of the "Secret Garden"; your visit with "King Winter"; your tea and gingerbread cookies in the "Tea House"; your tries at "Ice Fishing." You made "magic wands" and seemed to truly believe they were magical. You danced to the music and made the performers on the stage feel like a million bucks. You are the kinds of kids that make events like "Winter Faire" so worth it for so many people who put the work into making them. Everyone loved to just watch you with wonder and excitement lit up in your eyes. And you give back ten-fold. It was hugs all around. Dancing and hand-holding and wand-swishing and "I'm so excited!!!'s" from you all afternoon. Nothing can compare. I was so proud to be with you; to be "Kyle and Owen's Mom." Today we had a family day. Out to lunch and then to an indoor playground that you love. For two hours straight we watched you run around the place, running circles around every other kid there. On the way home we got ice cream and you both chose the same (of course): vanilla ice cream cones with rainbow sprinkles. When they were handed to you, your smiles could have lit up a hundred houses. Owen, you burst out with "Papi, thank you so much for this ice cream!" And Papi said, "Owen, when you say that like that it is sooooo worth it!" And that is soooooooo true. What we give you, we get back ten-million-fold. As is our tradition this time of year, driving home at dusk you made us sing the Hallelujah Chorus for every single house with Christmas lights we saw (which was, of course, many). Every string of lights on every house or bush, every glowing reindeer on a lawn, or lit up tree, or blow-up Santa--- it is all magical for you. You stare out the car windows and buzz with chatter and laughter and "oohs" and "aahs" and bursts of excitement so that your whole bodies wiggle almost out of your carseats. You are only 3 years old, just barely 3.5 -- but you have enough magic and excitement inside you to fill many lifetimes. You believe. You truly believe. It is magic with you. And I am so grateful to be able to spend this Christmas with you.
Love,
Your Mommy, a Believer too.