"I want to wear a fancy suit. One the girls would like."
Wow. Didn't think I'd be hearing anything of the sort for a few years yet. He'll have to settle for the hat as he rings in the new year (at 8 o'clock) with his main girl Kahtya. Because every day is a new day and every year a new year, here's hoping yours is filled with moving forward, looking deeper and feeling happy.
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 We had a blast this Christmas! Starting early, the weekend before, we headed east to the cabin to take in some R & R with Dad and my in-laws. It was so nice to have this early celebration in anticipation of Jahred having to work Christmas itself. Axel tried his hand at ice fishing which yielded exactly zero fish, but a bonfire right on the ice and plenty of holes for him to "look for the fish" through. Hurray for blue sky, 6+ inches of ice and an electric "snowpants" dryer at the cabin! For Christmas eve and day we left Dad behind to work and went about the usual rounds. One special addition this year was the introduction of the "Photo Booth" to Christmas eve in which we had a TON of fun snapping silly shots to remember 2012 by. When asked, Axel will tell you that his favorite gifts were his fishing pole and his "Lightening McQueen car that looks like Finn but is actually Lightening" (he sliced each present open with the metal wings on this toy car). And it was hard to tell which present Oliver liked best because he tried eating them all with equal interest and perseverance.      In the interest of ecology and economy, we've chosen to deliver many of our Christmas cards right here...on my blog. I truly feel blessed to have so many faithful readers (readers who are in my address book and readers who are completely anonymous). Each post I enjoy addressing friends and strangers as if they are one, my global family, and as if someday we will all meet via our six (or less) degrees of separation. Straying from the traditional Merry Christmas card this year, I personally address each and every one of you by wishing you the merriest of Holidays, Peace on Earth, and something to smile about in the upcoming year. 
 If dogs are 7 times their age in people years, my little friend is turning 49 today. Seven people years ago, an earnest Beagle was born in a barn (not quite a manger) and was destined to claim us as his forever family. While we've battled him day-in and day-out on issues like begging and behavior, he is our little grouch, our grumpy old man and one of our favorite things in life. What is it they say? "The best things in life aren't things?" Here's to seven more. Happy Birthday Oscar!  (Oscar chose to have his birthday portraits taken this year by his favorite cupboard (the one where his food is kept).)
Oscar would also like it mentioned that on 12.12.12, the last numerical "three-peat" for nearly 100 years, he is turning "Lucky Number 7." He would like you to know that this isn't a coincidence. He is just that "once-in-a-lifetime." It's when you wake up on those few mornings a year and discover you are completely "snowed in" that you say, "This is why I live here." Often that feeling of joy is short lived if you need to get to work, school, or are the proud owners of a "manual snow blower" (aka - plain-old-shovel). When you're 4 however, that feeling of joy lasts all day and you just can't help but get wet up to your corneas and cold through to your liver. Snow is awesome when you're a boy in Minnesota. 
Sometimes you don't regret your children being awake in the middle of the night. Tonight is one of those nights. With globs of snow falling from the heavens I wonder if Papa orchestrated this peaceful weather moment for just Oliver and I (I actually just typed "Axel and I." Wow how time creates overlap in your brain.). At just before 2am, Oliver was awake for his third time tonight and by the look in his eyes I knew he wasn't going back down. I immediately grabbed the snowsuit, the camera and wrangled the stroller from the back of the van. While the other half of my children slept, Ollie took two laps around the block with me. Remembering my weather moment with Axel like it was yesterday, I am purely happy to have had this one with Oliver. (On a side note – Axel's moment was during waking hours...he's got a leg up on his brother there. Not to say that Oliver wasn't "awake" for ours. He arrived back at the house with eyes wide open.)   Man how time flies...  I'm starting to think that the light slam I took yesterday on my bike had some effect on my creativity! I've had like ten great ideas today and the day isn't yet half over. Today's best idea comes out of sheer desperation. The desperation that comes from a notoriously crabby kid, his need to be held, my need to not have my hands tied and our joint need for said baby to sleep! I introduce to you the "Ergonitter." All you need is an Ergo baby carried (one with affixed hood...which used to completely annoy me because the hood is needed in Minnesota maybe five times a year to protect against sunburn, yet you are stuck with it for the life of your baby carrier) mix that with a wound skein of yarn and you're free to dance your baby while checking projects off your X-mas Knitting List. Seriously, it's genius if I do say so myself. 
Five minutes later... 
"Pin" this. I dare you.
I thought the most hazardous part of my job was sewing through my finger. That has yet to happen, however while biking your (see how I'm placing blame generally...a mean thing to do...blame it on post traumatic stress) packages to the post office today I was hit by a car! Yes, hit by a car on my bicycle!! I was hit right in the driveway of the post office, I spot I know to be difficult to pull out as a car. Drivers are often looking left towards the mailbox and then when a break in traffic occurs they jump on the gas. I saw this lady mailing her envelopes (perhaps her Christmas cards) and when she looked to her right, checking for traffic, I questioned whether she saw me, but she then stopped. By her stopping I was assured that she saw me...in BRIGHT YELLOW PANTS no less...and I proceeded to go around the front of her car. At that point she really gave it some power and my brand new Dansko was on her hood. It happened just like that. Luck was with me however that I saw it coming and she didn't pin my leg against my bike. If I wouldn't have stepped on her hood I would have tipped over into oncoming traffic and been in a halo for the next 6 months (if that). Did I get her plate number as my bike nearly tore it off, leaving it dragging as she pulled away? No. I'm not that quick. I did get quite the reception from the post office ladies who saw it all happen however. Funny thing is that I boycotted that post office for almost a year because one of the workers was such a terror that I couldn't even look at her without losing all sense of Holiday spirit. Doubt they'll be giving me crap now. Maybe I could even sue them for lack of "stop sign" or perhaps for not mowing their weeds and thus blocking the view for drivers. Naw...I'm just happy I didn't have a kid behind me (which I often do) and that perhaps my size 39 left a sizable reminder on her hood to watch out for bikers. Now you all get to see my new shoes again, documenting my only injury...an ankle scratch from my pedal on the leg that wasn't all "karate style" on her vehicle. Also, you can see the chunk missing from my rear (Tyler help me out with this part name) "wheel-holder-onner." Well folks. Etsy prices may be on the rise. I'm now feeling the need for "hazard insurance" or at least "long term care insurance." 
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