Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Looking toward a new year

Christmas has come and gone here.  We celebrated it a little late this year so we could accommodate those who needed to drive some distance.   Darcy drove from Durham, North Carolina, and Chance drove from Richmond, Virginia.

We did gift giving on the evening of the 26th (I think).  We kept it simpler than we have in the past.  The kids are growing up, so not the need for toys that we had for so many years.  And not a lot of money with which to buy more stuff.

Darcy brought some beautiful pottery that Hanna had made for each of us.  I need to take some pictures to share here.  Actually, as I think about it, I didn't take any pictures.  There was not anything profoundly amazing going on.  And I just forgot.

It is funny that I have adult children who don't live here any more.  Yes, it happens.  It is the normal sequence.  Some are ready before others.  That's fine too.

Nick and I were talking about what it must be like for Darcy when he comes home.   In his "real life", he has a job and a new promotion;  he is married; he has cars.  He pays to live in his house. I try to picture Darcy.  He gets up in the morning and has some sort of power bar for breakfast.  He gets coffee in the office.

When Darcy comes home to us, I am sure on some level he still feels like a kid again.  I remember that.  I got criticized for something ever day I talked to my mom.  She didn't know how to treat her grown children as adults, so I was still her's to order around.

Courtney and Morgan just seemed to grow up so fast when we weren't looking.    They have both been pretty completely independent.

Darcy, the middle child, the ever so responsible (while being mischievous)   Moved out as soon as he had a job and could afford to move  and buy groceries.

Austin is taking his own time and going at his own pace.  When he was 19, we sent him to Portland to live with Morgan and Robin.  It was too complicated.  Too many strong personalities.  Well, at least he tried it.  That was a great bit of progress.

Chance is the "Baby".  I don't think we ever told him that, but his brothers and their friend's were sweet to Chance.   But, like the others, Chance was adventuresome , and then he would want to sleep in the "family bed".   Having had all five kids in the bed was a real challenge.  Of course, there really was never a time when we had all of the kids sleeping with us.  That's even loonier if you think of it.  We started out with  Courtney when she was about 9 months old.  She would wake in the middle of the night and she needed to nurse  Nothing else would work.  So I would nurse her in the rocking chair.  I was exhausted having to get up, feed the baby and then try to get her to learn that she has to use a crib.*

I am rambling because I am so tired.

When Morgan was born, we were a completely on the idea of sleeping with your kids,

So, Courtney was the only one to sleep in  a crib for any amount of time.   

*when I first wrote this I said "she has to use a cubby".  I was really tired when I wrote that.  We never put any of our children into cubbies!

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