New Proposal: I would like to make Christmas an every other year tradition. It's just too hard to do three birthdays (Diego's, mine, Christian's) and Christmas, and New Year all in 3 weeks time.
Since my last update, life has been about as crazy as it has ever been. The day Diego turned 4 we had a fun birthday party at the Jungle Gym, and then it snowed! We were pummeled by snow through Christmas, essentially locking up most streets in W. Seattle. I had to cancel Charley's child dedication and party and several Dr.'s appts. After enjoying a snowy Christmas Eve, the Ramers Four flew to San Francisco for a really fun, jam-packed week visiting friends and family. Christian threw me an amazing 35th birthday party in San Francisco with 20 of my friends from around the Bay Area and LA. I am so thankful for my friends and husband! We returned on the 2nd, only to leave again 7 days later for a long ski weekend at Whistler (thanks again to our neighbor, Gary, who gives us the condo to stay in!). Christian and I nearly broke our bodies skiing 3 days in a row, and Diego learned how to stop in a pizza shape with his skis!
8 days later, Charley and I left for Texas to visit Christian's family. We had a super time! I have been very busy during this whole time finishing a couple of projects for AVID and working on my application to the U of Wa (I'm hopefully starting a program next year to earn my principal's certificate). Just yesterday, I returned from a weekend away in Las Vegas (work and pleasure), and in just 12 days, our whole family leaves again for a ski vacation in Colorado. Christian is going to an Infectious Disease conference, and we're meeting my parents for the week in Steamboat Springs. Totally fun, but completely crazy!!
Charley is changing and developing like crazy right now. She pulls to stand, can nearly stand on her own, and is walking using a push toy. She can say, mama, papa, D-Go, duck, quack-quack (sounds squeaky), mas (more in Spanish), pato (duck in Spanish), and night-night (she says it when she is sleepy and wants to go to bed). She just turned 9 months old, and I feel my baby is long gone and we're quickly headed to toddler-dom very, very soon!
Diego is writing more and more letters and is interested in how to spell things. He has sticky notes with small words all over the house, including "go" on the stairwell.
Christian is enjoying a slower schedule of classes this semester, still moonlighting like crazy, and is very excited that his job as "Acting Instructor" has been secured for next year at the university. He goes to Mozambique in March (I will be in Riverside with the kids and my parents) for a week long trip to meet his new colleagues. Starting this summer, he will be in charge of Mozambique through a non-profit organization called I-Tech. This organization works with care providers in Africa and other places on HIV care and management. He'll be doing all sorts of things related to supporting the training component, plus have his own panel of HIV patients (adult and maybe even youth) here in Seattle.
Enjoy some cute new photos of the kiddos!
Tired grandparents!
At the base of the Boat
Diego leading the way!
Down the trail he goes! Watch out below!
