Congratulations! You’re the proud owner of a new Super Cool of Awesomeness Princess Power Pink Toy!
Your well-meaning relative really hopes that you love this toy so much that all your other toys pale in comparison. They also hope this toy helps them supplant all other relatives in your affection leaving them with favorite relative status. And secretly they bought you a toy that makes noise in hopes of driving your parents crazy because they themselves remember an annoying childhood toy that your mom and dad once had that drove them to drink an entire bottle of peach snapps at Christmas one year.
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A few of my friends are going to become first-time parents in the next few months. The birth of some chubby little babes is a great way to kick off a new decade! Although nothing really prepares you for all the joys and struggles the birth of your babe brings, getting the necessary gear and doing some reading beforehand will certainly make the transition smoother. 
Sure, you can bake cookies cut out in the shapes of both Santa AND dreidels. Sure, you can eat potato latkes and drink egg nog. You can also sing “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “Hannukah, oh Hannukah, Come Light the Menorah.”
We leave tonight for our overseas family visit. Flying with my children is always an adventure, but usually it’s only a 3-hour trip to Kansas City. Our 8.5 hour flight may be a bit, well, more challenging. I’m packed, I’m ready to go (I think), and my carry-on bag is stuffed to the rim. Here’s my checklist for that carry-on bag:
When I put Luke down for his nap, Annabel and I have some quality alone time together. Sometimes we cook, sometimes I help her clean up her room, sometimes we read, and sometimes we just play. Lately, especially because of recent birthday and Hannukah gifts, we’ve been playing games together.
I love hand-me-downs. I didn’t love them so much as a kid with an older sister, but as a mom who’s not very interested in shopping or fashion (hence the way I look myself), I’m not picky when it comes to my own kids’ clothes.
Life rarely turns out as we intend it to. Most often for me, my best life experiences have seemed to fall into place–a five month sojourn in Africa right after our wedding, a teaching job that was intended for one year and turned into five, and a Master’s program chosen for its convenience and location that proved to provide a lifetime of learning and friendship.
