Hi ho, Happy New Year, everybody.
The times they are a changing ... As part of my New Year's adjustments, I've decided to move my monthly* letters over to "blog" format. Hence this and all future emails announcing the letter will just be "reminders" to come here if you want to read it.
That said, please let me know if this format is any trouble for you, and, as always, let me know if you want to opt out of my mailing list. This would be a logical / tactful moment, since you can always just come to look at the blog when the mood moves you...
Since this may be the last time I write about my life with Zephyr as an only child, I'm going to focus a bit on him; and because of the new format, I'm going to lean heavily on 'multimedia'. Thanks to Lambert, Nilmini, and Hinke for taking some of these pictures and films...
First, the cheeky monkey himself:
He can move chairs and nothing in the house _ but nothing _ is safe anymore. The destructive power of this child amazes me again and again. Don't let the smile fool you...
Here's a clip of Zeph sledding with a suspiciously spry Grandpa Van Gils. It gives a feeling of the depths of Dutch winter.
Here's two shots of him walking through the leaves on the "Northern Mountain" (which reaches its peak at approx. 60 ft above sea level) near the Van Gils/Meeus home near Arnhem.
Here's scruffy me and shiny Hinke playing the backup Angel chorus to Grandma Meeus's rendition of the "Story of Christmas" book Zephyr got on Christmas day.
And here's Grandma Meeus in action. She's quite a book-reader.
For the record, the Van Gils/Meeus family is deeply lapsed Catholic, and Zephyr is being raised by agnostic parents on both sides.
Note Hinke's red lipstick staining Zephyr's cheek.
Dutch Christmas is very subdued compared to the U.S. version. I like the Dutch way better, but I had a crisis of confidence about whether to give gifts to his U.S. cousins, something I had previously decided against.
My emotions are complicated _ I kind of want him (and me!) to have a foot in that world, and the cousins to know us, even though I don't fully embrace the rituals. Anyhow, we didn't do stockings or anything like that. Maybe next year...
Opening a present:
And finally, a clip of an awestruck Zephyr on my arm New Year's Eve:
Before you start questioning how on Earth I could let him stay up that late _ he was in bed at 8 p.m., but woke up about a quarter 'till twelve. I figured it was destiny.
You can hear me talking with some drunk woman who I think wanted to grab my camera to take a picture of me and Zephyr, but I didn't understand her (and she didn't realize I was filming).
Anyhow, long story short: Zephyr was not in the slightest unhappy or bothered by World War III going on all around us. In fact, he loved it and kept saying "keer, keer" (= again! again!) even as I was laying him back down a half hour later.
Hinke slept through it all like a log!
Here's to a happy and healthy 2008, I can't wait.
Love,
Toby
*Monthly, or roundabout.
Here's the outtake for our "Holiday Card" which we didn't send to practically anybody. Next year better. Now there's a resolution that can take its time to ripen...
Next: And then they were four
