Dawn Is Me

There’s less than three hours left in 2008, the year dubbed by Kimmie as “the worst year ever,” and I’ve been reading about Faith’s new little Chicklet.

Which seems as good a topic as any to ring in a brand new year, huh?

Actually, I’m getting a really big kick out of watching Faith’s public love affair with her baby son. It’s been 22 years since I was right where she is now, first time mom to enchanting, fascinating and (to me, at least) infinitely cute small man.

You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but that was a long time ago.

Right now, my family is draped about various spots down here with me: David, now very large and taller than his dad (much to Dad’s chagrin); Gina, smart and sexy, strutting around with the supreme confidence of somebody with a whole life ahead of them; Kimmie, growing into her womanhood as awkwardly as we all did and still managing to be one of the most interesting people I ever met; Ricky, not so much a ‘baby’ anymore, due to shoot up to be taller than Mom any second now …

One of the best things about having kids is that watching them is a lot like watching the future happen in your own living room.

I wish Faith much joy in the journey. I hope she has as much fun as I’ve had.

So, beyond my New Year’s wishes for my family, and especially my wonderful, wondrous children, I want to wish a very special Happy New Year to Faith and her Chicklet — the first of many, I’m sure.

Somewhere along about now, I should be having a fourth bloggiversary. Although, to tell you the truth, I think I just missed it by a few days.

Which, I suppose, goes to show you how much I care. And that’s a good thing. It kind of indicates that I have a life.

I felt badly for my children when I saw this. Not too badly, because I think wallowing in guilt is a waste of time and because I have plans in the works to fix it.

I am in the midst of a battle. To me, it feels like I’m fighting for my life. I want to say it pays to know who you’re getting married to before you say “I do,” but there are so many ways in which you really just can’t know.

That’s when life challenges you to play the hand you’re dealt. That is, if you choose not to take the easy way out.

More on this later.

Hey, it’s Christmas.

We’ve just finished eating a remarkably Thanksgiving-like dinner; for a set of reasons I’m not going to get into right now, the traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding has been postponed until New Year’s.

I have new reading material on this joyful day: An Assault on Reason by Al Gore and The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. My only problem at the moment is deciding which to read first.

It’s enough to make me wish I had two heads.

The kids made out nicely. I don’t really have the time or inclination to get into every single gift they each got, so I’ll just mention that my favorite was Ricky’s robot bug — mainly because of the entertainment value of watching the cat trying to figure out what to make of it.

That and I’m looking forward to amazing scenic views of amazingly scenic Ithaca, NY, courtesy of Gina’s new digital camera.

I’m tired, of course. It’s one of those obligatory things. When you’re a parent, Christmas makes you tired.

But I’m also happy. We had a better Christmas than we’ve been able to have in quite a few years.

I like to think that bodes well for 2009.