1999

Dear (say your own name quietly now, with feeling, as if someone who likes you very much had said it):

Seasons greetings. We hope this letter finds you all in good spirits. A few highlights from Michigan…

Alex enjoyed soccer this fall in the five year old league. He played one game with a busted lip (from an accident at preschool) which later required stitches. In his second year of preschool we fully expect him to graduate this coming year. In September, his friends in Church Kindergarten staged an intervention on his behalf, trying to control his obsession with Pokemon, but he foiled their plans by saying "I know you are but what am I?"

Emily debuted with her dance ensemble in a rendition of "Under the Sea" from the hit animated movie "The Little Mermaid." She was the only one wearing a diaper but her creative movements were not hindered. She is also quite the little singer. "Annie" and "The Sound of Music" have finally supplanted "Grease" as her favorite movies.

Mary continued the fun singing barbershop with the Water Wonderland Chorus. They finished fourth in regional competition so we won't linger on this subject. Gardening and laundry fill the scant moments when she's not doing something with Alex or Emily. She does slip out once a month with some of the ladies in the neighborhood, but details are not available regarding what happens.

Mickey finished a draft of a novel but it stinks worse than this Christmas letter and he is starting over again. What's a hundred thousand words between friends anyway? Mickey enjoyed coaching Alex's soccer team but failed miserably in his efforts to score with the soccer moms, other than Mary.

Our dog Blue and the cats who live in the basement put up with each other, sharing food and sniffing butts as needed. There are two homes at the other end of the road, but we are all alone on the cul de sac, which sometimes makes us feel as if they all know something we don't know (remember the Love Canal?).

We play euchre occasionally with people we met through the kids, and still work together in downtown Lansing. Mary is responsible for supporting a mature computer system, and so is on call for New Years, which is why we are not traveling during this holiday season. We hope your holiday season is happy and joyous.