Davis Christmas Newsletter 2010

In January we started to talk about whether the time had to come to move to a bigger house.  After lengthy discussions with our realtor, the answer was “Yes” and we began to prepare our house for a sale. 

In February we took a break from house-related activities and went to Kirkwood (near Lake Tahoe) with family friends.  There was no shortage of snow – we even had to shovel our way into the cabin from the parking lot – and everyone enjoyed downhill innertubing.

In March our house went on sale and we were fortunate to receive twenty-five offers in a short period of time.  We realized we needed to change our priorities from selling the house to finding a new one! 

In April, Evan turned two years old.  Both Mason and Evan also went for their second ear tube surgeries, as they were still getting frequent ear infections and had obviously hearing issues.  After the tube surgery, both kids’ hearing improved dramatically.  We finally decided to put an offer in on a house we liked, and after a little negotiation, it was accepted.

In May we moved out of the old house and into the new one.  Mason preferred the old house, but Evan was quickly won over by the new one when he found out it had a staircase.

In June, Mason turned four years old.  We had a birthday party in the new house with seven 4 year olds and, suddenly, the bigger house didn’t seem so big.

In July we decided to move the kids from their current preschool to one which was closer to the new house.  We finally selected a Montessori school, which both kids transitioned into rather quickly.  The new school has more of a focus on academics, especially on reading.  Mark played keyboards in (yet) another production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In August we took our first trip to Disneyland and Legoland with Uncle Scott and cousins Colin and Kyle.  That month we also threw a housewarming party and bid adieu to our babysitter, who started college.

In September I finished my engineering night classes at UCSC Extension.  We found a new babysitter, and Mark and I began playing in the Ohlone Community Band.

In October Mark visited family in Canada over Thanksgiving.  We also went camping with three other families in San Mateo.  Evan got his first bee sting, which got a bit dramatic when the rangers decided to call 911.  Fortunately he quickly forgot his discomfort over the bee sting when the fire trucks and paramedics rolled in.

In November we made a surprising discovery -- Mason has a (tree) nut allergy!  We are still figuring out all of the precautions we need to take, but are getting lots of help from experienced family members who have dealt with childhood allergies.

It’s December and we’re celebrating our first Christmas in the new house.  The tree is decorated with Transformers and construction vehicle ornaments.  Christmas lights adorn the outside of the house.  The new house feels like our home.

In the new year we will register Mason for Kindergarten.  It’s hard to believe we’re getting ready to send a child to school!

We hope your year has also been wonderful and full of happy moments.  Best wishes for 2011!

Love,

Mark, Shirley, Mason and Evan