2013 Re-Cap, Only a Year late...

Summary of 2013:  If we can do this, we can do anything.



It is increasingly difficult to condense the events of the year into a digestible quantity. 

Foremost, our number equals 10 now.  Gabriel Ty was born October 3^rd at home. He was in a desperate hurry to get here; in fact, he couldn’t wait for the midwife, so I had the unexpected opportunity to deliver our last baby.  For the record, I’m not accepting any new patients.

I paused when claiming our family was up to ten, as we are one short of a full complement. Max touched down in Mexico City in mid-October, so technically, we never had 10 under the roof.  

Oldest and Youngest got to meet briefly at the airport.

Still, we are a crowd. We take the full center pew at church. We don’t all fit in one car. We bring a cacophony of noise on the infrequent occasions we go somewhere. Copious quantities of bread, milk and cereal disappear down the children’s throats. I get gaping stares at the grocery store when cereal goes on sale, as the cart is piled high with 40 bags.  Every time I show up at Costco, people think I’m shopping for a ward party.  When the checker gets clever, I pretend not to speak English.

Sometimes it’s helpful to have so many people around. When Tami ran for City Council this year, there were lots of extra hands to move signs around, pass out fliers and door hangers, and count mailers into stacks of 50. By October, we were all counting down the days, holding our breath for it to be over, regardless of the outcome. After finishing third in the primary, Tami rallied and was the top vote getter in the general election. The only downside to winning? She is now on the City Council. Her main regret is leaving her position on the Planning Commission. If you ever want to spend 20 minutes listening, ask her about mixed-use developments and complete streets. Joking aside, though, she is a marvel. Keeping all of us on track is beyond a full-time job and more. Somehow she excels rather than just managing, and excels at managing.

Jack is 2 now, and it’s hard to believe there ever was a more engaging child. Last night I had him pinned for a little tickling. He started quoting Princess Bride. “(Hey! Hey!) My name is Inigo Montoya. You kill my father. Prepare to die! (Please stop!)” I hopped right off. Over the summer, Grace assumed mothering duties, and carefully taught him to use a nice voice, with manners. Anything you do for him is rewarded with a “Thank you SOOO much!” 
He is a bit addicted to Wallace and Gromit, mimicking the expressions and actions, and quoting the lines… “We forgot the CHHEEESE, Gromit!” 

“Dad, I’d like to play with my blocks” leads to towers, letter, color, and number practice, not to mention the inevitable Barney Clean-up song at the end. I hate it when he’s asleep; I love it when he’s asleep.

One week old

Gabriel doesn’t do much.  He’s a breast/binky/bottle fiend.   Seat, swing, and being held are his good, better, best.  He’s saving his smiles for when Grandma and Grandpa come home from Australia.  Meanwhile, we coo, gurgle, peekaboo, and croon over him.  He’s an advanced sleeper and a quiet crier.  Occasionally he has a fussy day or wakeful night, to remind us what a good boy he is.  I watch the brother pairs at church for clues of my future with these two little boys; it makes me smile.

Jens, 9th grade CJH Student of the Year

City Youth Council

Won the Pati racket!

Jens is enjoying the joys of sophomore year.  His first date was with a college girl.  He has to buy corsages now.  His simple pleasures include expensive socks and a new pair of slippers.  He mows lawns like a pro, and wields a mighty snow shovel.  He is the safest kid driver in the family, so far.  Knowing the future of mankind may depend on him, he works diligently to understand the principles of the periodic table and orbital structures of elements.   Each day that passes brings him one day closer to that magical time of year known as tennis season.  A varsity doubles position awaits, along with a team State Title to defend.

Nena rules on high as a mighty senior.  Though thwarted in her campaign for class president, she makes up for it by being on every council and committee known to mankind.  By the power of Greyskull, she is a good student, despite missing lots of school.  In October, she was bounced from the State Tennis tournament by a Honda Accord.  She stopped short at a light, and got hit from behind, addling her brain for a couple weeks.  Luckily, she fared better than the car she was driving.

    Somehow, Nena does it all.  She is a purveyor of baked goods, piano master, copier and laminator of primary lessons, amazing big sister and friend.  At the end of most days, she’s good company for a nightcap of Law and Order.  Her departure in a few months is vaguely troubling.

Grace resides on the top rung of the junior high ladder this year.  Ill-advised changes to the curriculum force her to high school every other day to get math instruction. She really likes going to school with Jens and Nena. We really like when she remembers her carpool.  I already alluded to Grace’s prowess in child-care. To say she is in demand as a babysitter is a gross understatement. Between attending all the junior high sporting events due to being a student body officer and her babysitting, we see a lot less of her than we’d like. When she is home, she typically has a book in one hand and a bag of pretzels in the other.  She is working hard at piano and tennis, and recently finished her YW Recognition award. We are considering upsetting the apple cart and celebrating that award at Jens’ Eagle Court of Honor.  

Max getting his call to Mexico City South Mission

Max toils in the barrio in Mexico City.  We are spoiled with lengthy, informative e-mails from him every Monday.  Here are several Fun Facts About Mexico he has shared:

§    Everybody has mustaches. Well, almost everybody.

§    The police are an absolute joke. They drive around all day with their lights on, sirens occasionally blaring, doing absolutely nothing.

§    You know the nasty end pieces of bread that no one likes? Here they're called "suegras", which is mother in law. Cause no one wants them. HAHAHAHA

§    Translating is still fun. For all you Cafe Rio lovers out there, pico de gallo literally translates to "Rooster Beak". So enjoy your rooster beak and pork.

§    I saw a dead animal on the sidewalk this week that someone had dumped detergent on to kill the smell. Viva Mexico.

§    Curly hair here is called "pelo Chino". Which makes absolutely NO sense because every Chinese person in the whole world has straight hair.

Besides being a cultural ambassador, Max is working diligently.  We are really proud of him, and appreciate his fortitude and example.

Ashlei started 4^th grade. She is the master of the plank in our house, beating all challengers without breaking a sweat.  Once on a dare she did a 7-minute plank. 

Ash keeps me company on many runs, trailing along on her new bike.  Her maximum distance was 15 miles; ‘twas a memorable July morning featuring thunder and rainbows. She is a ghost in the house during the early morning hours.  Even in the dead of winter, she wakes on her own in the 5’s, and cherishes the alone time watching TV with impunity, or Minecrafting on a purloined iPad.  If I were forced to describe Ashlei in one word, it’s companionable.  She’s easy going, mostly willing, and amenable to nearly any suggestion, even absurdly long bike rides and random hikes up the side of the mountain.

Anna does everything in her power to keep up with Ashlei.  She has a mindset and determination that are formidable.  Tami and I blame each other for her stubborn streak.  When we get her pointed in a good direction, she is very impressive and capable.  One morning she decided she was going to do the dishes.  A half hour later, the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, the large pots were hand washed, and the counters were wiped clean.  If only I could get siblings twice her age to do such a complete job.  I’m frequently vexed by this small girl, whose manner is such that I often forget she is closer to five than fifteen.

Though Anna and Ashlei have their own paragraphs, it’s practically impossible to separate this pair.  In spite of a 2-year gap, they are fast friends, only occasionally devolving into frenemies.  This is a two-edged sword, and we endure our fair share of childish arguments and girly-girl fisticuffs.  Fortunately, these interludes are the exception rather than the rule.  This year they ran 2 5k’s together, participated in the school play, walked to and from school, colored, painted, played, invented and imagined their way through thousands of hours.  (Yeah, they watched plenty of Arthur, Word Girl, and Wild Kratts, too.)   They are good companions…I hope it lasts.

My year was a lot like the third Hunger Games book…born of necessity and obligation, rushed, and poorly done.  As usual, my New Year’s resolution was to watch more TV than ever before; I finally succeeded.  Hubris increases as capacity diminishes.  Icing on the cake was running my slowest marathon in 4 years despite logging more miles than ever before.  Hair that once grew on my forehead now sprouts from my ears and shoulders.  I had no idea the decline would come so early, and hit so hard.  I’ll be nearly 60 years old when baby Gaby graduates high school.  How did that happen?

So there you have it.  Sorry about last skipping last year’s letter.  I just couldn’t make myself do it.  I hope this edition will assuage any lingering disappointment. 

Signing off,

The Fillmores

By Ashlei, age 9

Our Year in a few Photos

Cruise with the olders, possibly last chance to have them all together.

Grace was our most adventurous eater...escargot, sushi, and alligator!

It's a boy!

Ashlei's version of the Fillmore Family, in crayon

Summer hangin...

The last supper (or one of many of them the week before he left)

night of setting apart, girls say goodbye

our family is forever changed and jack senses it

One short month later, our family is forever changed again...

Joyous Birth!

Welcome Gabe!

Fall Hanging

 and Merry Christmas!

Who has time for this?

Apologies in advance for the lack of originality.  Make it to the end, leave a comment and you could win a prize!!!  Check my etsy shop for details.

Dad’s Top Ten

1. Jack coming with fireworks
2. Changing my email @ work from kfillmore@coherex to kam@coherex.com
3. Crash bang tree destroying wind storm—no damage sustained besides a sore back and limp arms
4. 2 Marathons, 11 other races, 1840 miles and counting.
5. Work, work, work.   I got a new laser.
6. Trip to the magic kingdom.  It turns out magic is expensive.
7. Best in years MLB playoffs with Jack on my lap.  For some reason he loves the sound of Joe Buck’s voice. 
8. The day after Halloween and Easter candy sales.
9. Morning donut runs with Ash during the warm months after our run/bike rides together.
10. Uneventful trip to Great Basin and Wheeler Peak.

Boston Magic

Mom’s Top Ten

1. Jack’s birth at home, surrounded by all those I love most
2. Every day with Jack since he was born
3. Being pregnant with Jack

this is the day!

4. Tennis…playing till he was born and two weeks after
5. All of my big kids making me so very proud with    what amazing, smart, nice, polite, loving, good people they are…

1. Max: conquering h.s. grades and ACT which leads to numerous scholarship offers, such a dedicated hard worker
2. Nena: ending her jr. high career as CJH student of the year, VHS student of the month for being “brilliantly friendly”, making it to sweet 16
3. Jens: great leader at school and church, always does his duty (usually happily), 4.0 student
4. Grace:  gracefully gliding into jr. high and young women, becoming the most amazing baby tender ever, beautiful dancer…
5. Ash: amazing big sister to Anna, fills our home with laughter, great reader, great helper
6. Anna:  my morning buddy and running/biking partner, loves k. and learned to read, loves to do service by cleaning up

6. Boston with my amazing marathon runner (in more ways than one) hubby!

7. Surprise visit from my sister Melissa and her fam

8. Haircut

9. Actually finishing basement all the way!

10. Getting rid of gross carpet, replacing with gorgeous hardwood!!  :)

Max’s unranked top 10 events

• Frisbee
• Senior year: dances, games, partying
• Tennis/VHS finished 2^nd place state/summer league champions
• Hawaii
• Working/paychecks
• Post windstorm chainsaw madness
• Jack
• Sports: end of lockouts, everything MLB
• EFY
• ACT 34, Getting scholarships

Nena’s unranked 10 events

• EFY, girl’s camp
• Parents gone to Boston/holding down the fort
• New record for sleeping in
• Summer nights
• Surviving Driver’s Ed
• Family, especially JACK!
• Hawaii with Max and grandparents
• Viewmont tennis
• High school and so many new friends
• Sweet sixteen!

Jens’ Top Ten

1.  Anything to do with Jack
2. Any and every sport
3. 8^th grade SBO
4. Winning state tennis with North Canyon Team
5. Jens and Henry Blackburn undefeated doubles champs
6. Boy’s Chorus
7. Mowing lawns/earning money
8. Young Men encampment
9. Disneyland
10. Candy

Grace’s Top Ten

Grace was the hiking queen this year!

1. Jack and everything about him
2. Girl’s camp and my awesome Young Women friends and leaders
3. Disneyland
4. Going to Great Basin with cousins and grandparents
5. Deseret Peak hike (it was HARD but worth it!)
6. Dance and the bike riding involved with it
7. Playing and watching Zelda and BanjoKazooie with dad
8. Junior high (esp.Algebra & English)
9. Basement fireplace reading and iPad Scrabble
10. Being 12, getting taller and the various crazy projects mom and dad do! 

Grace's two favorite pasttimes

Ashlei’s Top Ten

1. My birthday…I got 12 presents even though I only turned seven
2. Dance with Miss Natalie
3. When Jack was born
4. Reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
5. Having Mrs. Erickson for my first and second grade class
6. Having my cousin Nicole in my class for the fourth year in a row
7. Going to the rec. center and Lagoon-a-Beach
8. Mary’s Christmas present
9. Halloween… dress up and tons and tons of candy!
10.  Playing with Annalee at recess  / Disneyland

Anna’s Top Ten

1st day of K.

1. Disneyland
2. When we went to the swimming pool with the little diving board and the tall diving board and I jumped off the tall one
3. Playing with Jack
4. Playing Zelda with daddy
5. Gingerbread play
6. Swimming lessons in summer because the water was nice and cold so it made me cozy cold from the hotness
7. Going to Kindergarten the first day
8. Playing with friends in summer in the backyard while I was wearing my long sleeved apple shirt and it was really hot
9. Decorating for Christmas and Halloween
10. In the spring when I weared a blue hat with white flowers on it

Jack

1. Being Born at Home
2. Mom / Eating
3. Grace
4. Dad
5. Jens
6. Baby Galileo DVD
7. Exersaucer
8. Swing
9. Nena/Max
10. Ashlei/Anna 

Nobody exaggerates like bank executives, personal injury attorneys, politicians, or Christmas letter writers…
I've read various letters about the BEST YEAR EVER!! Complete with EXOTIC vacations to MYSTICAL destinations!, COVETED promotions!, GIANT raises!, NEWFANGLED techno-gadgets!, PERFECT kids!, with UNQUALIFIED achievements! Heck, I've completed several of these creative writing exercises myself.  Regrettably, due to economic hiccups, I am unwilling to skip two days of work to compose the regular ARRESTING ALLEGORY. Instead, I enlisted the help of 7 unwilling volunteers…We made a group effort to summarize the... 

SUPERLATIVES of FILLMORE-LIFE in 2009!

TERRIFYING to the MAX!
Nena: Frightmares at Lagoon
Tami: Driving with Learners Permit Boy 
Anna: A monster and a ghost and a witch
Jens: School starting
Max: Knee-boarding at 38 mph
Kam: From the relative safety of a tent trailer, listening for 15 minutes while a bear rummaged through camp, feet away from my boys sleeping in a tent outside. Luckily they hadn’t taken any food into their tent for midnight snacks; they could have experienced a rude awakening. 

Jens prepping to protect himself from aforementioned bear…

Ash:  The water slide at the Rec Center

Grace: Riding my bike home from dance lessons in near pitch blackness

INGENIOUS INVESTMENTS!

Nena:  $10 haircut to donate my hair to Locks of Love

Kam:  Tivo subscription, Plant vs. Zombies

Jens:  Bike repairs
Ash:  I don’t have any money
Anna:  I put all my monies in the heat vent
Max:  $2 bus ride from Gateway, monthly cell phone bill
Grace:  $1 piggy bank
Tami: Finishing the basement

ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING!
Tami:  The quiet upstairs while the kids are in the finished basement

Kam:  Just after midnight on 18 Nov, a washing machine size rock hit the atmosphere at 80000 mph.  The energy released was equivalent to a kiloton of TNT.  For 5 seconds, it was brighter than mid-day.  Signs in the heavens, or a visiting UFO? http://www.ksl.com/?sid=8714738&nid=148

Grace:  TWO grand slams in one inning at a Bees game
Ash:  Rides at Lagoon

Max:  Singing in All-State Choir

Jens: How clean the dishes are when they come out of the new dishwasher that actually WASHES dishes!
Anna:  Anyone with the temerity to confront me about my behavior
Nena:  My dad, grandma and 2 aunts running the Ogden Marathon

EAGERLY ANTICIPATED!

Max:  Tennis season and high school
Jens:  School year

Anna:  Getting to chew gum

Grace:  Christmas!  I got some really good presents for people and I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces!

Kam:  Putting away the lawnmowers, winter solstice

Tami:   5 day vacation with JUST Kam-n-Tam
Nena:  California trip over Thanksgiving week

Ash:  Going to Kindergarten

UNPARALLELED
ACHIEVEMENTS!

Nena:  Elected 8^th grade vice president

Tami:  Provo Half Marathon and playing tons-o-tennis

Anna:  Manipulating everyone into doing whatever I want

Grace:  I learned to do a front flip without biffing it

Jens:  Amazing basketball game;  24 pts, 4 steals, 6 rebounds

Kam:  20 game win streak on Free Cell

Max:  Beating Highland in summer tennis league championship

Ash:  Doing the zip-line at the mountains (editor’s note:  Refer to “most terrifying” to see why this was absolutely amazing.  Ash is usually a scaredy cat and stunned us ALL with her determination to do this.)

DISILLUSIONING
DISAPPOINTMENTS!

Max: Dodgers getting worked in the LCS, off-season moves
Jens:  Cardinals losing to the Steelers in the Super Bowl
Grace: Harry Potter 6
Tami:  Stress fracture = forced time off from running and tennis

Nena:  Anything relating to Twilight, New Moon, Taylor Lautner, etc…

Kam:   Tami’s disdain for Flagstaff
Ash:  Going to bed early makes me really upset
Anna:  Yelling and hitting and saying people are stupid

EMINENT EMBEZZLERS of TIME!

Jens:  Plants Vs. Zombies

Max:  Sleep, at night and during class

Grace:  Reading all my books

Tami:  Running the Reflections Contest 

Nena:  Practicing Piano

Kam:  Basement finishing

Ash:  Lining up  (editor's note: according to Ash, they do a lot of  this at school)

Anna:  Coloring

APEX of INSPIRATION!
Grace:  Mom and Dad (editor's note:  what a suck-up!)

Anna:  Word Girl
Nena:  General/Stake Conference

Ash:  Playing with Anna and making each other cheer up
Jens:  Max earning his Denali Award
Max:  Juan Martin del Potro defeating Roger Federer in epic fashion
Kam:  Singing in SLCA, The Biggest Loser, President Obama
Tami:  Trading Tending with Tiffin for Temple Trips


MOSTEST MOMENTOUS 24 hours!
Jens:  13 November--my birthday party; pizza, presents and Powerpuffs
Grace:  26 June—Heber Valley Camp with a zip-line and my cousins
Anna:  8 July--last day of swimming lessons
Nena:  16 February--I got my braces off!
Max:   27 January--Winter Camp:  Steak + Jeep + sleds = good times
Ash:  All of them
Kam:  24 July--Run, raspberries, Rock Band, afternoon movie, family, friends and fireworks.
Tami:  27 November--after 14 months with mud spots, the stair walls were painted!

Thanks Kam!!

NEVER DISAPPOINTS!

Max:  Tennis, Xbox baseball

Tami:  Bag of Tootsie Rolls, Kam’s Choral Concerts 

Anna: Bottle of milk and a good nap

Kam:  Bottle of Code Red

Nena:  Sleep

Grace: Teen Girl Squad http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgsmenu.html
Ash:  Arthur, PBS Kids online

Jens:  Math

ENGAGING ENDLESS EFFORT!
Anna:  Wiping that look off my face

Tami:  Choosing each day between good/better/and best

Nena:  Waking up.
Ash:  Going for a nap.
Max:  Trying to not be overly competitive
Grace:  Being agreeable or disagreeable
Kam:  Looking on the bright side of life
Jens:  Maybe making a decision, I think.

RECOMMENDED Reads!
Kam:  All the Pretty Horses
Grace:  Gregor the Overlander Series
Max:  Dan Brown books
Jens:  Ranger’s Apprentice Series
Nena:  Shannon Hale books
Ash:  Mooch the Messy
Anna:  Something with a princess and a castle and a fairy and pink and purple
Tami:  Ecological Intelligence  (editor’s note:  not kidding)

SUPERB CINEMA!
Tami:  Frontline:  “The Warning”  (editor’s note:  still not kidding)

Jens:  Forever Strong

Anna:  Mariposa Magic of the Rainbow

Max:  X Men Origins

Grace:  Rocket Man

Kam:  Star Trek

Ash:  Mary Poppins

Nena:  Independence Day


Congratulations on making it to the bottom.  So far, the word count is 1115.  If I were forced to choose a one-word summary, I would choose FULL.   Our weeks are full, our bellies are full, our hearts are full.  Finally, one concluding superlative...ELEGANT text from recent Christmas music:

“To save the world from evil thou cam’st in pity, O Child of heavenly beauty—

Laud we thy name; extol thee; Lord of all majesty, Father Everlasting.”

Wishing you a resplendent Christmas,

The Fillmores

2008 Christmas Letter

Holiday Greetings, or Merry Christmas if you prefer. Each year, I look forward to regaling distant friends and relatives with embellished descriptions of our activities and accomplishments. This year, I thought I’d tell the unvarnished truth.

Before addressing specifics with each child, I’ll list a few of the general problems around our house. First off, none of the children have developed the ability to turn off a light. They have no trouble manipulating the switch to turn ON the lights, but somehow the logic for OFF escapes them. The older kids have moved to the basement, and to help “incentivize” them to master this useful skill, they pay $1 each time I find their room or closet lights left on. We also struggle with the door closing skill and differentiating between inside and outside voices. Despite frequent setbacks, I remain optimistic that my “gifted” and “talented” children will eventually master these skills. Tami and I are really figuring out this parenting thing. I share with you some of our most successful strategies for dealing with those times when life comes at you fast. 1. Yelling 2. Retreating behind a locking door 3. Insanely early bedtimes/naps 4. Wearing earplugs, like the ones you find at a gun range 5. I’m currently contemplating various pharmaceutical options Now for the specifics, in no particular order:

Having recently turned 11, Jens coasts toward adolescence. As he begins this journey, I watch with pride as he develops a style all his own…a style I affectionately call “slob”. If it’s grubby, wrinkled or slept in, Jens is inexorably drawn to it. His hair takes on a life of its own. At a recent family party, Uncle Dave looked Jens up and down, and said, “That kid is three guitar lessons away from a record deal.” Jens continues to be thwarted in his quest for justice and equity. He never fails to inform me who has the hardest job, who isn’t doing their job, who caused the problem, etc. Even as he leaves Cub Scouts behind, and enters the brave new world of Axe Body Spray and Skull Candy Earbuds, Jens holds onto his childhood. He remains a magnet for friends, younger cousins, babies and any activity involving a ball and sweat. My Sweet Grace (9) finds herself in that awkward stage where baby teeth fall frequently, and adult teeth erupt willy-nilly. Besides dental difficulties, many of her once-successful strategies for getting the recommended daily allowance of attention are failing. (This can be explained by Selma and Patty’s Adage of Aging Children: “The older they get, the cuter they ain’t”.) Having to compete with the adorable “Little-A girls” presents a daunting challenge. I suppose her escape into the written word comes as no surprise. Grace diligently reads every novel series written in the history of children’s literature. If there is a career opportunity that draws heavily on having read innumerable badly written books, Grace’s future is bright. (sitcom writer??) Recently I insisted she confine herself to Newberry novels. This subset has it’s ups (Hero and the Crown, The Higher Power of Lucky) and downs (Roller Skates, A Year Down Yonder); but they are much better on average than the insipid drivel found in the Hardy Boys, Inkheart, and Serpentide. Somehow she survived the year without a new Harry Potter Book, although this didn’t stop her from rereading them all several times. We were keenly disappointed when the sixth movie was postponed until next summer. Max (14) rues the day he first came to work with me; of course he was two, so his choice was limited. When his free time isn’t being hijacked to mow, rake, push or pull, he lives for 8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, so he can dazzle his opponents at Ultimate Frisbee, or show off his slice serve on the tennis court. Besides athletic pursuits, Max is singing with girls this year. This is a great enhancement to his previous choral endeavors. Concert attendance has upgraded from “Sheer Torture” to “Tolerable in Small Enough Doses”. Honest. The last concert was quite good. Really. Max has wisely taken to heart that he will be receiving NOT ONE PENNY from me for college, and is succeeding scholastically. Only 13 more terms that matter…I’m keeping my fingers crossed. His social life mainly consists of eating candy, managing I-Tunes playlists, and playing X-Box with a group of friends I would charitably call nerds. But just a few weeks ago, I picked him up late on a Saturday night from his first “b’grl prty” (I know, taking the vowels out of words doesn’t always make it cool.)

Anna is 2 going on 10. She often calls to mind the following nursery rhyme:

There was a little girl who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good she was very very good. But when she was bad she was horrid.

Years ago when Nena took ballet lessons, I balked at the exorbitant costume fee. “She’ll wear this thing for one performance lasting 45 seconds, and never wear it again!” I raged. Well, Anna, Ashlei, and every neighbor girl in a two block radius have made me eat those words. Dress-up and pretend is always on Anna’s to-do list. Her favorite outfits are “Daisy”, “Butterfly” and “Naked”. Naked comes up a lot due to her propensity for “peeing” her pants. In our calm, reasoned conversations about keeping dry, she always responds appropriately, “No, Dad, I won’t pee my pants. It’s gross.” But somehow, leaving the house or holding her on my lap signals her bladder to release its contents. Oh well. Perhaps the fact that she won’t let me arrive or leave without hug and kiss helps her get away with anything.

Whereas Anna is prone to mood swings, Ashlei (4) is unfailingly ebullient. Her favorite toy is a 40 year old Fisher Price record player. It’s the kind requires manual winding, has a sliding on/off switch, and plinks out a melody on notched, plastic records. There’s no battery or LED. She plays with it nearly every day, singing along to the Barney song, Jack and Jill, and Hickory Dickory Dock. I’m amazed how easy to please she is, and how richly I enjoy any time I spend with her. She enjoys her bedtime books, but loves made up stories, such as “Percy the Potato Bug”, “Jake the Kid Who Lost his Big-Wheel Because he was Irresponsible and Left it in the Driveway”, and “Pete the Kid Who Got Lost When he Didn’t Tell his Mom Where he was Going.” Sometimes if the endings are overly moralistic or disturbing, we revise to make them happier. After a good night’s sleep, Ashlei wakes up earlier than everybody else. She has learned to use the Tivo remote, and reads well enough to find her shows. In a failed last-ditch attempt to preserve my sanity, I recently deleted the DragonTales Season Pass.

I’m at a loss for what to write about Nena. Perhaps a list… GPA- 4.0 Room- clean Piano Practicing- done Personal Progress- ahead of schedule Journal entries-recent Use of inappropriate language- non-existent Friends- all nice In summary, she’s a lot like Mary Poppins; “Practically perfect in every way.” But I guess that’s not entirely true. She babysits for other people way too much. Sometimes she delays when I ask her to make cookie dough or brownies. Also, if she’s tired or hungry, she can turn into a real bear. And she sleeps in too late, hogs the bathroom a little bit and can be very slow about doing the dishes. Other than that, it’s hard to say aught against her. There isn't much to say about myself and Tami. A couple pictures may suffice:

To borrow from a Primary song, "One year older and wiser too." That about sums it up.

One evening in September, I watched a Country Music Festival. After an hour or so, Tami asked, "Why on earth are you watching this?" I found the spot with Trace Atkins singing "You're Going to Miss This". For all you country music haters, I'll trouble you with just the chorus:

You're going to miss this You're going to want this back You're going to wish these days Hadn't gone by so fast These are some good times So take a good look around You may not know it now But you're going to miss this"

We watched Trace, mesmerized. By the end of the song, we were both in tears, surrounded by dirty dishes, open doors, noisy kids, schoolbooks, dress-up clothes, scattered toys and turned-on lights. I make far too many comments and observations with tongue lodged in cheek, but fully realize, these are some good times.

We wish you many such transcendent moments in the coming year where things are unexpectedly clear. With Love, The Fillmores

2007 Christmas Letter

2006 Christmas Letter