The Howe Family

Here is another “reminiscing about 2010″ post. This one also features content from my favorite journaling method. (Read Eli in 2010 if you want to know more.)

Here are Phin’s highlights from 2010:

• January:
  • I love to dance while Papa plays the piano. I spin in circles and clap my hands.
  • When I woke up and Papa was already at work I said, “Papa work. Miss Papa.”
• February:
  • I have an Elmo doll that I burp, diaper, wipe, and use hand sanitizer on.
  • I can identify all of the ingredients Mama uses in bread, “Pour lemon juice,” “yeast,” “oil,” “flour.”
• March:
  • “Mama has boogers.”
  • As I was destroying an old VHS tape, I said to myself, “No, no, bad choice.”
  • After returning home from a trip to the cousins…I woke up looking for my cousin Zoey at 4 am. “Zoey, oh Zoey?!”
• April:
  • A birthday cake was left out after Seminary and I saw it when I came to breakfast. “Want cake. Find candles. Find little candles.” I also sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the chairs.
  • Mama says, “Phinny, do you want a new diaper?” Phinny says, “No, not today. Popsicle. (walks to kitchen) Come here, Popsicle time!”
  • First splinter. First black eye.
• May:
  • Before starting a project or game I say, “Let’s do dis!”
  • I turned 2! I am 32 pounds and 3 feet tall.
  • During a morning prayer he told Heavenly Father, “I scared ‘bout lightening.”
• June:
  • I can climb our chain-link fence. I told mama that I wanted to get out of “the cage.”
  • When Mama was cutting up a waffle for me I said, “Ouch! Ouch! That hurts the waffle.”
• July:
  • I went canoeing for the first time at Lake Wellington.
  • When Papa kissed Mama I said, “Don’t kiss Mama! (wipes off her cheek) That makes her very sad!”
• August:
  • Talking to Papa, “It’s not your kitchen. It’s Mama’s kitchen.”
  • “Mama, we have a great life.”
  • There was a fly on the cereal box at breakfast, “Fly? Do you want some mini-wheats?”
• September:
  • We were listening to some classical music, “Mama? Is this little, tiny rock and roll music?”
  • While looking at the stars, “Mama, that star is getting a hair cut.”
  • I rode in the Homecoming Parade float with Papa. Go Mustangs!
  • About Eli, “Can I squeeze him and pull him and tug him and hug him?
• October:
  • “Eli, you’re my best friend. You’re my best friend forever.”
  • “Mama, you’re not a girl. You’re a mama!” “Papa, you’re not a boy. Phinny is just a boy.”
• November:
  • “Phinny is a big, Black football player!”
  • I voted with Papa.
  • After getting to the center of a tootsie pop, “It’s sucker poop!”
• December:
  • My favorite bible story is David and Goliath. When I reenact this with Mama, I call her “Mama Goliath.” I call myself “Phinny David.”
  • “Is Eli the cutest pajama boy ever?”
  • Mama said, “You make me crazy.” I told her, “I don’t make you crazy. I make you happy.”
    

A few posts ago I mentioned that I use a cheap wall calendar to document the small and big moments of my children. I have picked my favorite entries from each month for Eli. It is amazing what can happen in a year. Here is a snapshot of 2010:

• January: “I smile when mama kisses my cheek.”
• February: “I moved into size 2 diapers.” “I slept for 5 1/2 hours last night. Mama is thrilled.”
• March: “Phinny and I snuggled in mama’s bed until 9:30.” “Mama and I danced in the kitchen, I smiled the whole time.”
• April: “I went to my first movie in the theater. I saw, How to Train Your Dragon.” This month I tried black beans, grapefruit, strawberries, brown rice, bananas, pears, and chocolate pudding.
• May: “I weigh 18 pounds!” “I have little conversations of “cooing” with mama and papa.”
• June: “I like to growl back and forth with Phin and then break out in giant laughs.” “I can roll over and crawl.”
• July: When I babble to Phin, Phin says, “Eli says ‘I love you,’ to me.” Only a brother can understand! “I met my great-grandma Donna”
• August: “I discovered the toilet and toilet brush.” “I love to squish in the mud while mama is watering in the garden.”
• September: “I love to play in the dishwasher.” “I give myself kisses in the mirror.”
• October: “I tried curry today. I loved it.”  Phin said to Eli, “Eli you’re my best friend. You’re my best friend forever.”
• November: “I turned one! I have 2 new teeth.” “I voted with mama. But I slept the whole time on her shoulder. I got my own sticker.” “I blow bubbles in my milk with a straw.”
• December: “I have two more teeth” “I am walking everywhere.” “My favorite foods: scrambled eggs, frozen peas, corn, cheese, beans.”

I love seeing the year in this way. Raising babies is so consuming but oh so fun. I love you my Elijah!

I love January, despite it being about 4 degrees outside. I feel a surge of “you can do it.” It is the only time during the winter that I can really get pumped up for new projects. But this post isn’t about new projects. It is about looking at the past year and seeing that it was truly productive and that next year will be even better. I love life.

Some memorable, exciting, or exhausting moments from 2010:

• Received and completed my first real, paid consulting job.
• Prepared close to 1000 meals (not including snacks) for 2 boys and 1 man.
• Bought our first house.
• Grew tomato and pepper plants from seed.
• Learned to can apples, peaches, and tomatoes.
• Landscaped our front and back yards.
• Dropped down one pants size.
• Cared for Eli in the hospital during RSV season.

• Celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary.
• Enjoyed working with 12 & 13 year old girls at church.
• Finished reading the Book of Mormon.
• Watched Phin hook into his first climbing harness.
• Watched Eli take his first steps.
• Taught piano lessons to 9 wonderful students.
• Got a speeding ticket.
• Confidently taking both boys through the grocery store.

Here’s to another year of growing, learning, crying, laughing, and all of the good stuff.