In retrospect

2013 was one of lots of changes.  Eli grew at least half a foot, his voice deepened dramatically and he has even taken a razor to his upper lip.  Once.  Whenever we notice these things he makes loud noises to block out our voices and says "Don't talk about it! Write it down if you have to.  Keep a journal.  Then give it to me.  And I will burn it."  Too bad that my journal is electronic.

Theo is going through his own changes.  He's growing a bit in terms of height.  But his feet. Good lord.  Huge.  And his confidence. It grows daily, delightfully.  He is on his fifth trip through the Harry Potter books.  This time he finished book 7, took at least an hour break and then settled back into a bean bag chair with book one.  It astonishes me that he has new insights each time he reads this series.  Lucky kid.

We are busy changing the layout of this old house of ours.  We thought long and hard about moving instead of fixing up this one.  But as we looked around, we realized how much we really like about this house- the fireplace, the deck, the garden...the somewhat spacious yard for St. Paul (ok, my yardstick of comparison is small), neighbors, location.  We looked at lots of places that had pieces, but then decided to make some changes and stay here.  We started with a plan to turn the 3 season porch into a yearround space as a way to get the office out of the dining room.  In the end the porch will remain a porch, but we gutted the kitchen and are putting a room and a bathroom in the basement- hopefully to lure teenage friends here so that our boys have a place to hangout that is safe and warm and somewhat 'private'.  And the office will probably still be in the dining room.  But we're excited about more light, more openness, and yes, another bathroom.  Maybe the most exciting thing is that a plumber got into our upstairs bathroom and for the first time in our decade-long residence on Brimhall Street, you can flush the toilet willy nilly.  No waiting 30 minutes.  No filling the tank from the bathtub.  It's lovely.

Jon and I still toil away at the same jobs, but we like them.  At Avalon we are figuring out ways to get more involved in the school reform movement, which keeps things lively.  And for Jon, the Central Corridor is about to go 'live' which should be exciting for both him and the rest of St. Paul.

We are looking forward to 2014.  To a completed house project.  To a winter full of skiing, and archery tournaments where I have to be quiet, which is hard, but worth it.  To a spring of Ultimate Frisbee on sunny afternoons, watching the boys run around while we chat with lovely parents.  To another season of History Day and whatever that may bring. To a lovely trip to Yellowstone with the Sage Clan to celebrate the fact that my parents have been married for 50 years.  50 of them.  To summer number 12 at Dunord, where Eli will turn 15.  15.  Holy moly.  I can't wait for it to all unfurl.