HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am looking forward to the prospect of a new year and a fresh slate. '05 was, to say the least, eventful. I'm sure we'd all say the same, respective to each of our lives.

For our family, 2005 was a fresh start. We began the year, from minute one, as a brand new family. PC and I were married on New Year's Eve '04 and since then our lives have moved and grown. The children have grown to adore him and see him as both a friend and someone to respect as an authority figure in our home. I have completely enjoyed watching as each of my children formed their own unique bonds with him.

2005 brought me a couple of milestones to make me feel old. In June, LargeBoy graduated from 8th grade. He has been at the same school since Kdg, so this was a HUGE deal for us. All of the kids that we've watched since they were toothless and crying for mommy at the door were GRADUATING, finally moving on to a new school, some to different schools than the rest. I swear, LargeBoy will never ever wear a light blue oxford shirt ever again. Then, in August, he started High school. Yeah, so now I have a child in high school....GOD!!!!!!!!! Second big event that made me feel old was when, in October, Girl turned 13. Not only do I now have a high school student, but TWO of my three children are now teenagers. YIKES. Girl will be in 8th grade in September of '06, and then on to high school with her. LORD, I'm not ready for this!!!

HUGE year for SmallBoy. The Diagnosis. The Frustration. The Knowledge. The Friends. The Breakthroughs. We have found wonderful resources to help our wonderful teachers. We've begun a system with a therapist to help him learn new coping strategies. We are experimenting with visual cues and lists. Still difficulties with his father not understanding Asperger's (or as he says, "AWSBURGERS"), but that will come, hopefully. I told you about the surprise room cleaning, right? Well, yesterday, we were getting ready to do something or other and he was on the computer. I asked him to please log off and close up and HE DID! No arguments, no, "but...but...but...."It was fabulous. I told him how wonderful it was that two days in a row did he do something the first time we talked about it and with no complaints. I told him how very proud I was. Then, when PC dropped of Girl & LargeBoy at their evening things, he stopped and bought a pint of Ben & Jerry's cookie dough for us to share, but primarily for SmallBoy. He explained, hey, you did something really awesome and for that, we've got this ice cream just for the three of us.

Now, the year is drawing to an end and it's time to bring out the party hats, silly string, poppers, blowers, tiaras, whistles, pots & pans, champagne, etc...(tiaras are mandatory at our house). The kids are excited and we are looking forward to the promise that 2006 holds. Further growth for SmallBoy, LargeBoy turning 16 and driving (OH GOD - a whole new set of things to worry about), Girl getting ready to head into 8th grade, a whole lot of unknowns - which can be scary, but we're ready for them. I think that with all we have gone through so far, there isn't much that '06 can bring that we won't have the strength to tackle (of course, I don't want to jinx us), but I say BRING IT ON!!!!!

Tomorrow night we will celebrate our first anniversary with a few good friends (all who live within walking distance) and our children (and a few of their good friends). PC and I are going downtown to a restaurant that is supposed to be phenomenal, I've never been to, and is closing at the end of February. That will be the time that WE will celebrate with each other (besides, the el is only charging a penny on New Year's!) Home again after that and it's up til dawn with our friends. I think I will wear my tiara (from our wedding) when we go out for dinner (yeah, that one in the picture). I can do that, right? It's New Year's Eve!

So I wish to all of you: Strength, hope, love, ALL GOOD THINGS, faith, and health in 2006!!!!!!!! In case I don't get to write tomorrow: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!!