Christmas 2001: EXTRA KID, EXTRA KID!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

How was I to know when I talked Phil into one more baby that nothing, and I mean nothing, is designed for families of seven? Not vacation homes, not kitchen tables, not SUVs, not cute placemat sets, not even KFC's family size bucket! Cameron is our own personal super-sizing dilemma.

In other lead stories...

FOOD

Big doings at the dinner table; Kevin ate a carrot. And he didn't throw up. He didn't even make those awful throwing up sounds. Before you start celebrating for us, be assured that ketchup and Reese's Cups are still his foods of choice and he continues to recover from the day I snuck some grated squash into the pancakes! The other top story is that Kristen has given up life as a crunchie...in other words, she ate a hotdog. So, now she'll eat hotdogs. BUT, they have to be BARBEQUED. And she'll even stoop so low as to ingest chicken. BUT, it also must be BARBEQUED. Now that Phil is working again (see lead story in FINANCIAL NEWS), BBQing has gone by the wayside. So instead of the coveted cell phone, we've decided to get Kris her own gas grill for Christmas...You Grill, Girl!

ENTERTAINMENT

Nicki. Need I say more? Okay, okay...Nicki is something like the 'little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead...' In recent months, she has lost a mouthful of teeth, tackled tae kwon do, succinctly expressed her personal views about a particular teacher...to that particular teacher, accused Phil and me of being too romantic whenever we so much as glance at each other, and regaled us with stories about the little boy in her class who wants to know how to kiss girls. When we nervously inquired about her teaching methodology, she assured us she'd told him to practice on the school's brick wall! Whew.

SPORTS

Despite three seasons of soccer, two seasons of roller hockey, and one season of lacrosse since we settled in Denver, we have yet to see a win. I'm not talking about a winning season, I'm talking about a winning game! Of course, since Phil isn't very competitive, it isn't that big of a deal...excuse me for a moment..."Phil, honey, I think it's time you take your hands off of the ref's neck now and let him get home in one piece for the holidays...honey...HONEY!"

ARTS & LEISURE

Leisure? Did someone say leisure? Oh, sure, I guess that was a leisurely drive to rehearsal...I didn't honk at anyone this time did I? Oh, I did on the drive home? No, I think that was during the drive back to deliver the socks that Will forgot. Oh? I was yelling at the slow pedestrian then, the honking was when I went back to pick up Kevin from rehearsal? Are you sure it wasn't when Kristen realized that she didn't have to be at rehearsal that day? Well, thanks for clearing that up. It was an exciting fall, not only for all the other drivers (not to mention pedestrians), but also watching Kris and Will perform in The Sound of Music here in Denver. Having learned all of the songs by heart two years ago in New York, it was...well, refreshing isn't exactly the word... Anyway, the house was alive with the sound of music. And we are all eager to see Kevin, a.k.a. Ron Weasley in a Harry Potter production this spring.

TRAVEL & LEISURE

Another misnomer. We traveled, but it would be a stretch to call it leisure travel. Picture this: a breathtakingly beautiful national park filled with one-of-a-kind rock formations, once-in-a-lifetime views, spectacular panoramas. Then picture this: an aging Suburban crammed with contentious siblings including a two year-old learning the power of a scream, a 12 year-old perfecting the preteen whine (as in: why do we have to go to Utah? I hate Utah! None of my friends have to go to Utah) an 11 year-old having re-entry stress after a month at sleep-away camp (otherwise known as freedom), nine and seven year-olds who haven't exchanged a civil word since 1997. Top this off with Phil in start-up mode (again), and me on the wagon (see MEDICAL & HEALTH NEWS for more on this unfortunate state of affairs). Ugh.

MEDICAL & HEALTH

I have recently offered, make that begged, to personally fund the R&D of an alcohol-friendly medication for the parasite Giardia, a delightful memento from the Avon 3-Day walk. Advice for future walkers: ONLY DRINK THE BOTTLED WATER! Ten days on the wagon after three days on the can...how unfair.

REAL ESTATE

I tried, I really did, to get Phil to buy me a house on the bay last summer. I mean what's the big deal? I know we live in Denver now, and NJ is nearly 2000 miles away but still...consider it a change of scenery...okay, consider it an investment...okay, consider it complete and utter frivolity! So what if it cost more than our house in Denver and our house in NY combined. Just because Phil hasn't seen a paycheck in over eighteen months...what's your point? Whose side are you on, anyway? Do you want to get an invitation to the shore or not? In terms of current real estate holdings, the punch list at 70 Elm Street hasn't changed one iota since this time last year. The house even has some special features we hadn't been aware of before. For example, the other evening Kris was able to play the piano and take a shower at the same time. All of this while I was trying to fill the tub...

FINANCIAL NEWS

In deference to polite society, Phil finally decided to go back to work. After his attempt to change the world (by obsessively working out) failed (i.e. nobody noticed his enormous biceps), he is boycotting the gym where he previously parked himself for two to three hours a day. Instead, he is parked in a pretty official-looking office in downtown Denver, where he and his partner, Dave, preside over Headwaters MB.

ANIMALS & NATURE

Our brief foray into dog parenting didn't even last long enough to get him in the Christmas photo. " Cowboy" was an adorable two year-old Basset Hound who didn't like sharing me with Cameron. Our one other attempt at becoming pet people was my brilliant idea to have goldfish be the goody bag for Nicki's 7th birthday party, a backyard carnival. Suffice it to say, I made three trips to the pet store in the 24-hour period preceding the party and had four new friends stop speaking to me within 24 hours after the party!

MOVIES

I'd like to give fair time to each of this year's blockbusters, but unfortunately, I've been home with Cameron watching Barney re-runs. There is something so endearing when Cam gently takes my face in his hands, gazes into my eyes, and whispers hopefully "Watch Barney?" Mind you, this is usually at 5:20 AM. Other favorite Cam expressions include "Hit!" "Kick! ""Move!" "Cry!"and of course, "No Way!"

EDITORS NOTE

While we have much to be thankful for this year, we grieve for our families , friends, and fellow Americans who have touched by the tragedy of terrorism. Please join us as we pray for peace. We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

With Love, Gretchen, Phil, Kris, Will, Kevin, Nicki, and Cam

Christmas 2000

To friends far, wide, east, west, new, old, worst, and best;

The year 2000 has been a real sleeper; it started out slowly but ended up a sell-out! Our low point was early January when we spent 8 days with 5 kids in 2 rooms at a Colorado Residence Inn. One day things got so bad that Phil and I had to retreat to separate rooms (with big plastic cups of wine) to call our moms! Let the house stress begin...

Our new home has a four-page punch list, a postage stamp-sized backyard, a New York style price tag and that pretentious but trendy “theatre”…a major selling point according to the kids (mind you these are people who decided on a school based on its ketchup supply!) While our oversized closet of a theatre is not up and running yet (what? why would wiring be included in the price?), life has been pretty dramatic on its own. We've been trying to come up with a title for this comedy: Nightmare On Elm Street seemed rather pessimistic: Home Alone seemed a bit optimistic (Rugrats in Denver is more like it). There's always The Money Pit, which does sum up our experience with the builder (aka The Jerk), but might be considered libelous.

When we were enticed to Denver by the great American Dream of an entrepreneurial start-up, the idea of Trading Places was irresistible (though perhaps Phil thought that Jamie Lee came with the job…). Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?- We do!! But we ran out of lifelines... an hour after we unpacked the last box, hit the credit limit on our Mastercard at EMS thanks to camping gear, ski equipment, and all the other Colorado necessities), the start-up… finished up.

Since then, Phil has been exploring the recreation industry with lots of skiing, rollerblading, and weight-lifting. We have recently updated our title to Who used to be a Millionaire. While Phil does his best not to be a Scrooge, he’d sure be happy to see something The Color Of Money! Having him around is a bit like being married to The Odd Couple- I’ve got Felix doing flow-charts to “help” me manage the breakfast, backpack, brush teeth routine, and Oscar conspiring to paint J-E-T-S-! on the children’s chests for the Christmas photo.

Kristen’s top movie pick is Drive Me Crazy (hmm does that mean me or her?) She’s like all grown up ya know…like she wasn’t thrilled about the move (uh duuhhh, moooommmm) like it was really unfair ya know, like leaving all her friends. But she’s sort of recovered, like with the mall only a mile away…that’s like, rad, ya know…Let's not even talk about the Never Been Kissed aspect...

Will quickly found his niche in Denver landing the lead role in Oliver at the local theatre. It was brilliant casting as “Please sir, I want some more” has been a signature phrase of Will’s for years! "Food, Glorious Food" has also always been a favorite of his…witness the 123 candy wrappers on his floor less than a week after Halloween. You guessed it...Willy Seefried and the Chocolate Factory.

Rookie of the Year is Kev’s favorite flick. It’s a fitting title for our little buddy. When we first told him about the move, he grabbed his head with both hands and bellowed “But New York is my life” (he was 7 at the time). Kevin has remained a stalwart Yankees fan, tho’ basking in the glory of the World Series was tough when surrounded by Rockies fans…He’s become our own rookie of the year, in less than 4 months he’s mastered rollerblading, downhill skiing, crayfish hunting and has even weathered a simultaneous sleeping bag claustrophobia attack with Phil on our first (read: last) camping trip.

There is Something About Nicki. She plays a mean game of golf, a worrisome game of doctor, and attracts friends like flies. In her terrific pre-first class, she has learned cross-stitch, sign language,, and how to cook thai food. She can ride a chair lift with the best of ‘em and even mastered the tricky technique of peeing in the dark in the woods while being held aloft by her bionic mom.

Lethal Weapon 5 is Cameron’s top pick. At 16 months, he is fast violent, and unrepentant. He loves head-banging, hair-pulling, and hitting his sibs with weapons as varied as Seseame Street videos, unopened waterbottles, and stray golf balls. They continue to adore him despite head injuries and hair loss, and have taught him the delightful phrase "Whaassuuuppp? (Phil is sure Cam has a future with Anheuser Busch). We are still waiting for him to adjust to Mountain Time as he' still awaking at 6 AM... EST!

As for me, I feel like a supporting actress in an old cowboy flick. Pack up the wagons, head west, and set up a new camp. If you'd asked me 6 months ago, I would have called it Mission Impossible, but we did it. Now we are just dealing with Sleepless in Seattle, make that Denver. My co-star, Cameron, is attached at the hip. I've mastered one armed-cooking, shopping, and cleaning even while being head-banged by the best of them. While I look forward to a future feature of Eyes Wide Shut, Phil will be disappointed to hear that it's not the Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman version that I'm fantasizing about!

We have lots to be thankful for this year; welcoming new friends and loyal old ones, memorable times with our families, and the birth of a healthy son to my brother Chris and his wife. Things are still hectic, so I guess it's us, not New York, that makes life so busy...but we wouldn't have it any other way.

It's A Wonderful Life!

Peace, health, joy to you all.

Gretchen, Phil, Kris, Will, Kev, Nicki, and Cameron


STAY TUNED FOR 2001, WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE A REAL BLOCKBUSTER!

Christmas 1999

Dear Friends,

All of you who know us well may not be surprised to hear Phil’s favorite saying (a.k.a. ‘The 6 P’s) is 'Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance'. In other words, PLAN AHEAD!! To tell you the truth folks, I’ve recently been experiencing slight performance anxiety and it may have something to do with the fact that my favorite saying is more along the lines of “Drat, it’s time to go to Plan B.” So let’s call 1999 “the year of the plan” (or the year the plan went out the window) and allow me to share with you some of my finer planning moments.

We’ve had several people raise their eyebrows at our idea of responsible family planning, (in fact, you may be one of them!). Though it's hard to believe, Cam really was our own version of the ever-popular five-year plan. He was truly worth the wait. When not being smothered by his sibs, he is busy jet-setting around the country with Mom and Dad. He’s been to more places than Dr. Seuss - from the Rockies to the Boardwalk, and the Governor’s Palace to Cinderella’s castle. He sleeps 10 hours a night, smiles 10 hours a day, and flirts or feeds during the balance.

I don't blame you for questioning the planning when our oldest will hit puberty just as the youngest enters the terrible twos. But this year, we’re still in that honeymoon period where Kristen think we’re pretty close to perfect (or at least not too mortifying), and Cameron doesn’t know what a bad hair day is. Kris has really come into her own; she loves her new school and has discovered that socializing and scholarly pursuits need not be mutually exclusive. She is teetering between the tens and the teens with alternating requests to wear glitter to school and sleepers to bed.

Then there is the issue of vacation planning. What was I thinking when we went to the non-air-conditioned shore house during the worst heat wave since our wedding day? Between me being nine months pregnant and Phil putting his back out while trying to put the air conditioner in, we spent our week vacation drawing straws to be alone in the one room with air conditioning and a king size bed. The kids were thrilled to be told to “eat, drink, and be merry, just close the door quick so the cold air doesn’t leak out of our room!” WHADDAYAMEAN YA WANNA GO TO THE BEACH?? IT’S A HUNDREDDEGREESOUT!

The beach wasn’t the only thing that was hot this year…after wowing his fans as Snoopy and belting out a stirring rendition of Suppertime in a backyard production of Charlie Brown, Willie is currently rehearsing for the role of Rooster in a coming production of Annie. Like Rooster, he has a soft spot for shiny suits and an eye for an easy buck. But his taste in women is much more refined and, much to his sister’s shock, some of her friends are even asking for his number.

Then there was the holiday planning…okay, ‘fess up. Who was it? I know it was one of you. One of you told me that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to go to Disneyworld. No crowds…everyone is home with their families eating turkey. Well guess what. No one was home eating turkey with their families, they were all at Disney eating a $25 character breakfast with Mickey! And so were we.

Kevin really rocked in Disney when he conquered Space Mountain not once, but twice, despite a 103 degree fever (another example of my fondness for Plan B). Kev continues to love ketchup and hate girls, avoid showers and covet baseball cards. He’s developed a golf swing to rival Dad’s and now just needs to learn not to run to get to his next shot.

One of my personal favorites is the continually changing medical plan. As I called around early in the year seeking a pregnancy test which would involve someone else dipping the stick in the urine (I don’t like self-serve at the gas station either), I was frequently met with the ever-so-solicitous “WHATSYAPLAN ??” We continue to rely on the “PLAN” to finance the infinite refills on Nicole's asthma meds. Despite her cough, she is still better entertainment than A&E. Nicki likes to say it like it is. Last week she curled up next to Phil, waved her hand in front of her face, wrinkled her nose, and advised him “ a tic-tac wouldn’t kill ya!” Now in kindergarten, Nick has the sophistication of a fifteen year-old. Her most recent undertaking? Wedding plans. Her own. She recently informed me (in confidence) that she will be marrying the Backstreet Boys. I’ll see what I can do about getting you on the invite list.

As far as my own planning is concerned, I must confess that sleep deprivation was briefly revisited last summer. It was clear I'd hit rock bottom when I asked the kids to wait a few minutes while I went upstairs to eat the baby. I had a similar sinking sensation in my stomach when he was about two weeks old; someone asked his name, and I couldn’t remember.

As for Phil, well wouldn’t you love to know what the prince of prior preparation has planned for the millennium…

While we gear up for the year 2000, let me close by hoping that you and yours have a holiday filled with joy, and a new year filled with plans!

Love from us all,

Gretchen, Phil, Cam, Nicki, Kevin, Will, and Kris

Christmas 1998

Oh! You'd better watch out, Christmas is near...

I really don't have time for a letter this year...

Nicki's been home sick for two weeks!

She's there when I am sleeping; she's there when I'm awake; She knows if she is bad or good,

She'll still be there for goodness sake! Oh!

To sympathizers far and near:

1998 was the year the kids discovered the musical...following their debut in My Fair Lady last winter, was a rousing Cabaret in June, and a whirlwind Wizrd of Oz in August with even Nicki masquerading as a munchkin. Currently the house is alive with The Sound Of Music-the kids insist on singing every song loud and clear! We've found that adjusting the lyrics slightly pretty much covers life as we know it-so try humming the tunes as you read along with the songs.

(You are Sixteen Going on Seventeen...)

Kris is nine years going on ten years...the mall is a sacred spot.

New clothes are cool: We bought them for school...

So why are jeans all she's got??!

She is nine years headed for teen years...fourth grade sure seems tough;

Sleepovers rule and friends can be cruel...

I think that I've seen enough!

(Raindrops on Roses)

Snowdays on school days and food filled with sugar

Bellbottoms, skateboards, and cool words like" booger"

Funny old movies and crushing with Dad

These are a few of Will's favorite fads.

When the kitchen's closed, when there's a dress code,

When he's feeling sad...

We simply give in on some favorite thing,

And then we don't feel so bad.

(Edelweiss, edelweiss...)

Kevin dear, was it the tubes in your ears? Every morning you wake us.

Cheerful but loud, you're heard in a crowd. Why does quiet forsake us?

Bundle of nerves, may you keep all your verve,

Keep all your verve forever.

Kevin dear, though we no longer hear...bless your loud laugh forever.

(Doe, a deer, a female deer...)

Oh, our Nicki, our willful Nicki; Pray a drop of patience more

"Pee" a word, I hear a lot; "Ha!" a favorite nonsequitur.

"No!" a favorite of us all; "Ma!" a word to follow "No!"

"He", a favorite one to blame

Which will bring us back to Oh, oh, oh,oh...

Oh! PRAY! PEE! HA! NO! MA! HE! OH!

(Climb Every Mountain...)

Play every golf course, Drive high and far;

Follow every fairway, till you shoot under par.

A par that will need every hour you can give...

Every weekend of your life, for as long as you live.

^%$&%^*(&)*&^%

Phil started the year off on the infamous Atkins diet. I had good intentions of joining him, but 10 hours into Day One he informed me of the "no vino" component and I was out. CHEERS!

After three weeks without carbs, Phil was a lean, mean (and I mean, mean) workout machine which made for some rousing conversations: "56 reps, you don't say?" Of course it was all worth it as his golf game came within a stroke of the club championship in September and an envy-producing 73 at Augusta two weeks ago. As for work, well let's suffice it to say there's a good reason why they call it that!

(High on a Hill was a Lonely Goatherd...)

Out in the car was the crazy mother, lay--eeo-dl, lay-ee-o0dl, lay-ee-oo

Driving back and forth, the chaufeer, their mother, ley-ee o-dl, lay-eeod-l, lay-ee-oo...

Actually this year my new motto is Carpool or Bust!

After a taste of indolence during seven sweet weeks on the Jersey Shore with no to-do list,

I've begun to appreciate the beauty of a half-full calendar, and time set aside for the 3 Rs: Reading, running, and relaxing with Phil and the troops. This is not to say that there isn't always something I should be doing ...only that I'm not necessarily doing it as much as I used to!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year: a 'both sides of the family' reunion in Sea Island Georgia last spring (the site of our first date for those who are interested). Thanksgiving with my whole family, and Christmas with most of Phil's. Not to mention that three out of four kids can tie their own shoes, ride their own bikes, and wipe their own...well you get the picture!

Our house is filled with the sound of music, with songs they have sung a hundred times...but the house fills my heart with the sound of children; my heart wants to savor every song it hears.

Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday and New Year!

With much love,

Gretchen, Phil, Kristen, Will, Kevin, & Nicki

Christmas 1997

To Our Friends Far and Wide,

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true loves gave to me...12 tearful tussles, eleven ear infections, ten trips to Tarrytown, 9 "nah nah nah nahs", eight exceptions to The Golden Rule, seven sib sob stories, six separate snack attacks, five filthy faces, (Phil counts!) four full-blown fevers, three bulging back-packs, two temper tantrums, and a mitten that is missing its mate. 1997 has been music to our ears, or something along those lines. While we used to cringe at Barney's 'I love you, you love me, we're a happy family' now we have the good fortune to listen to 'ifyawannabemalover,first yagottabemahfriend'. Yes, even three-year old Nicki has discovered the Spice Girls. Lawd, have mercy!

As for anyone who decided to stop feeling sorry for me now that three out of four are in school...think again! Think that the fourth is Nicki!! and then think lunches, think field trips, think back-packs, think science fairs, think homework, think privacy...not. Think ballet, and piano, and swimming, and drama, and choir, and Brownies, and Wolfscouts. Think sucker! Think fund-raising, consciousness-raising, flag-raising, tuition-raising, standard -raising, hair-raising. Think anything but hand-raising. I was hoping the kids would start raising their hands to talk to me, but no such luck.

Nicole is 3 now and has been exposed to enough bathrom talk to take her through a residency in gastroenterology, gynecology, or urology at Columbia. She is earthy and irreverent. Her favorite expressions include"I mean, uh duhhhh, Mom!" and "nice pucci-pucci" ala Jungle-to-Jungle-I will not translate. Kevin has hit kindergarten and continues to be our own personal super-hero. His Halloween costume history speaks for itself...see if you detect a theme: SuperMan, Budman (Phil cut three holes in an empty Bud case), Power Ranger, X-Man, Spiderman. He loves Playmobil, computers, and his brother. He never stops moving or making noise, even when he's sleeping. Willie continues to wage war with his siblings and charm everyone else. He likes to eat sweets and wear sweats; loves Beanie Babies (we're 48 and counting); and is largely responsible for our latest mode of family communication-the infamous acronym INF (i.e. It's Not Fair!"). We have also developed some alternate interpretations to suit each of us including "It's not funny!" (Kevin), "It's not free (me), It's not fattening (Phil), "It's not fragile" (Nicki), and It's not from the Gap" (Kristen). Kris is working at recreating herself in the image of Claudia (the coolest member of the Babysitter's Club). She wants clothes and music for Christmas! I repeat, she wants clothes and music for Christmas! Help...$#@#^*%$*%...puberty is just around the corner and I just started sleeping through the night!

Phil is increasingly consumed with the worlds of finance and golf. He has developed a split personality disorder featuring Mike Milken and Nick Faldo. The inside scoop has Nick in the lead...but please keep it quiet-we really need that bonus this year. At home he leads the troops in rousing renditions of the Grinch's theme song and has everyone doing a pretty solid J-E-T-S cheer. We get together occasionally to compare calendars, ATM withdrawal slips, and notes on the latest crisis.

For Christmas, we are asking for a weekend when Aunt Laura get snowed in and we get snowed out, two new sets of matching earplugs, and the continued blessings of close families and and close friends.

We wish you a happy & healthy holiday and plenty of peace & joy in the year ahead!

With Love, Gretchen, Phil, Kristen, Willie, Kevin, and Nicki

Christmas 1996

Dear Santa et al:

I've been a very, very good girl this year...well, a pretty good girl...all right, a somewhat good girl. Okay, okay, so I've been a raving lunatic who curses out every other car on the road, feeds her kids lollipops before 7 AM, sends out blank party invitations, and threatens telemarketers (and anyone else who calls between 5-8 PM) with severe bodily harm.

Enough true confessions...on with the news. 1996 has been designated the year of the cough. Beyond Nicole's every day asthma-related cough, we've become well-acquainted

with the hacking cough (Willie), the gagging cough (Kevin), and the 'I'm pretending I'm not coughing' cough (Kristen). Then there is the 'I never got around to getting a flu shot' cough (Phil) and the 'What the hell, everyone else in Westchester has it, so why shouldn't I?' cough (me). Thankfully, we no longer have the smoker's cough, and for those of you who never knew, never mind: and for those of you who did-aren't you impressed? So what if I eat a whole bag of popcorn by myself every night, I can still fit through the door, and anyway... didn't I already say "enough true confessions"??!

Kristen is a savvy second grader and an official member of the Babysitters' Club Books Fan Club (guess how much that's going to cost me every month?!) She has big plans and a big heart, is beginning to complain about homework, giggle about boys, and contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.

Willie, at six, has hit his stride: he loves to draw, build forts, watch cartoons, annoy his sibs, and is in continuous training for the 2004 Olympics Men's Gymnastics Team. His two favorite phrases are "It's not fair!" and "I'm still hungry".

Kevin is into transformers, computers and legos. He hates vegetables, rules and "gorls". He frequently threatens us with 'the friend thing'- "if you don't let me do whatever the hell I want (including eating all the Halloween candy in one sitting, tying up my baby sister, and running out in the street naked), then I won't be your friend anymore!"

Nicki is two and invariably infuriating. She has recently discovered hair-pulling as a quick sibling attention-getter and has quite a grip! She loves food, pacifiers, and the Macarena. Two years of having her siblings lord it over her has finally come back to haunt them as her favorite household phrase now is "go away, you dumb baby!".

Phil has been working on his transformation from Type A to Type B with extraordinary success. Having survived a month of self-induced deprivation in September (no caffeine, alcohol, fat or sugar!?!) his body was, for a brief moment, "a temple" (his own words). For all of you former drinking buddies and fellow White Castle-holics, never fear. His body reverted to its natural tavern state well before Columbus Day! He continues to provide the kids with creative and spur-of-the-moment entertainment ranging from huge fort-like rocket ships built from discarded box springs to "I'll give you a quarter if you get me a Bud without shaking it".

We really do have a lot to be thankful for this year: the precious time spent with my brother and his family as they continue battling Batten's Disease with their daughter, Betsy; the huge outpouring of love, support, and help to my parents and our own family while my father weathered back-to-back bypass and aneurism surgery last month. And last, but not least, the fact that for the first time in nearly eight years, our children all sleep through the night (except when they have coughs).

We have been abominable about keeping up with even the closest of friends (we hardly keep up with each other...want proof? I'm not pregnant and we don't have a new baby!) So please forgive us if this is the first time you've heard from us since last Christmas and don't feel bad because it's probably the last time you'll hear from us 'til next! Nevertheless, we wish you a very happy and healthy holiday and plenty of peace and joy in the year ahead.

With Love,

Gretchen & Phil, Kristen, Willie, Kevin, and Nicki

Christmas 1995

Dear Friends,

Tis a year since last Christmas and all through the house

We've had chicken pox, pneumonia, lice, and a mouse.

The kids are oft' nestled snug in our bed,

A knee in Phil's groin, a foot under my head.

Despite hours of trial and error, we've concluded our life doesn't fit into a poem, so back to the prose it is...

Kristen is six and all grown up. She's busy with dance, theatre, first

grade friends & foes, and teaching us all how to use this new computer. Willie is begging for karate classes, eats candy as if it were...candy, and has decided that being younger than Kristen isn't so bad, as long as he's older than Kevin! Kev runs around the house singing the theme song from Alexander & The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: 'If I could be an only child...my Mom and Dad would treat me like a king' between dire threats that "anyone that don't pee in der pants...dey can't come to my birfday party". Nicole is 16 months old with the temper of a 16 year old with a curfew. She is proficient at clicking on the tv, karate-chopping like the pink Power Ranger, pulling out every pot in the kitchen, while simultaneously turning on the stove, turning off the dishwasher, and throwing my shopping list in the garbage disposal.

Phil is a trooper and has gotten used to the fact that dinner is often burnt, on paper plates or nonexistent. He works from dark to dark, dreams of long summer days with a cold beer and a hot putter, and is wrapped around the fingers of both little girls while continuing to provide wrestlemania - style entertainment for the boys. As for me, I've bought stock in Maxwell House, can drive Route 9 with my eyes closed, and often feel like the Grinch railing against "all that noise, noise, noise"!

Actually, we have a lot to be thankful for this year: the speedy recovery of Phil's dad following a heart attack in January, the joy of watching Nicole grow, walk babble (and karate chop) despite her continuing battle with asthma; the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and research funds for our niece, Betsy; and the prospect of having our whole family together again for the holidays this year.

For X-Mas I'm asking Santa for a full night's sleep, a child-proof VCR, earplugs, and (Phil are you reading this?) a car phone. Phil would be happy with a single household appliance that worked the first time he hooked it up, a flight that was on time...and that he made in time, and a chance to finish his round at Cypress Point.

As for you, we hope your year is filled with hope, health, peace, and joy!

With Love, Gretchen and Phil, Kristen, Willie, Kevin, and Nicki