New Year

Every year this wonderful thing happens where Michael's parents keep our children for a couple of nights over our anniversary (January 1).  Michael's childhood best friend, David, and his wife, Aly, join us for those nights.  This year we even had a free cabin from one of David's sisters.  We had a couple of nights kid free, and then decided to gather our children for the last night.  They LOVED it.  Here you see our kids with Asa, David and Aly's 4 year old.  He warmed up to Ezra whom I think really liked him.  The lake was beautiful and the weather was perfect.

Can't believe we've been married 8 YEARS.  8 years, 4 houses, 3 children, 2 jobs.  1 marriage.  Good stuff.  I'm thankful.

Christmas

Here is a PR photo for Mary.  She's going on her "Mothers of Peace" tour soon.  And here is one of her looking entirely too old next to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.  Later in the day she had a tea party with her new tea set.  Elliot and Ezra enjoyed their first bath together at Yaya's house.

Haircut!

Ezra had his first haircut yesterday.  My back door neighbor has a friend named Kevin (pictured here with the clippers) who comes over and does her boys' hair every two weeks.  He agreed to do Ezra as well.  So, we all crossed the alley to our little kitchen barber shop, Ms. Thelma's house (better known as Ezra's black grandmother, as she calls herself).  The girl in the picture is Ms. Marsha, Thelma's daughter, Ezra's adopted auntie.

Ezra did well for the first few minutes, curious, quiet, looking around.  It was only when I asked Kevin to take it down a little bit more that he started to cry.  But it was short-lived.  And now we have a VERY grown up looking little boy, whose face looks fatter now that his big, puffy hair is gone.  Elliot cried all the way back to our house about how he missed "Ezra's fluffy hair".  Elsie decided she didn't like it either.  I kind of miss it, too.  BUT, I can actually see his scalp now, and it doesn't take 30 minutes a day of picking, lotioning, conditioning, etc. to get the kid ready to go every day.  It'll grow back, and maybe I'll be fully functioning by then!

Ezra's 1!

Here is a link to Ezra's one year birthday party!  And here area  couple of pictures.  The Gordon clan celebrated at a beach house on Tybee Island.  The three sisters made the bear cake - beautiful.  Ezra loved it all.

Lately

Lately Elliot has been saying funny things.  He said to Michael the other day, after (I'm sure) talking about Kwanza at his public school, 

E: Papa, did Ezra used to be African American?

M: Um, he's still African American.

E: Oh.  Well, when he was with his birth family, did he celebrate Kwanza?

Today on the way home from school, Elliot and Elsie decided to plan a party.  After some debate in the back which I couldn't hear, Elliot told me they had come up with the menu:
E: We're ready, mama.
Me: Ok, what are we having?
E: Cheese, buffalo, and beer.

Elsie, also has been imbibing the public school koolaid.  The other night we were praying, thanking God for things he had given us during the advent season.
E: Thank you for mama, and Ezra, and Papa, and me, and Elliot...
E: And thank you for Hanukkah.

The above is a hair styling chair Elsie got for her birthday.  Ezra fits in it nicely.  It's almost time for his first haircut!

Elliot quote

Elliot got a birthday party invitation in the mail today from Amanda.  He was VERY excited.  Then he started talking about friends and how he and Amanda are friends.
Me: So is Amanda your best friend?
E: Well, she is my best friend here.  We're friends.  It's a connection. ...(?)

Latest quotes, in no particular order

On the way to school Friday,
Elliot: Mama, mama! There's the Bud Light truck! Yay!
Me:  Why do you care about that? What's Bud Light?
Elliot: It's the official beer of the NFL!

While putting together a foam nativity,
Papa: Can you help me by getting Mary's dress?
Elsie: What is taking Mary SO LONG?