Christmas Morning 2008

2008 Christmas Letter

For those of you who I don't have addresses for:


Dear Family & Friends,
I can’t believe we are at the end of one more year! This Christmas season has been especially fun with Abby; Mike and I have been laying groundwork for her meet Santa. She has yet to meet him (this year) but in her excitement to do so; she calls out “Santa” to any older man with white facial hair, including the book she looked at today in church. She seemed to think God told Santa to gather two animals of every kind to ride in a boat and weather a flood. I am hoping her excitement doesn’t clam-up when the big “event” happens!
Abby started preschool this year and LOVES it. It’s a total communication preschool, which means they speak and sign at the same time. She leaves on a bus and everything! I love seeing her paintings, craft projects, and notes from her teacher. She has gotten so mature for her little 3 ½ years. I still feel somewhat cheated out of a “toddler” year, but the benefits of her going to preschool have been unmeasureable. Abby is starting to really express herself with language. I can understand her at least 50% of the time, which is a HUGE improvement. If I don’t understand, I can usually read her signs. Since starting school, Abby’s signing has gotten better than mine.
Just recently, Abby had a hearing test. Her left ear tested 15 db lower than her previous tests. Because of the drop, we went to Primary Children’s Medical Center for an MRI and found out she has “Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome”, meaning her hearing will continually decrease until she is completely deaf. The syndrome isn’t the cause of her deafness, but it is common in children with congenital hearing loss. We are sad to learn the results, but feel so blessed to have her. She continues to dazzle us with every move she makes. Unfortunately, her gymnastics have become a casualty of the syndrome. We fear a head bump might speed up her hearing loss. I am hoping she will like dancing just as much.
Abby isn’t the only one busy this year. Mike has started his final year of school. This time next year, he should have his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. I’m not sure how he has been able to keep his grades above a 3.75 GPA, but he has. He is still working full-time installing audio/visual equipment in Park City for Lifestyle Electronics. With the soft economy, I hope next year’s update doesn’t have a job change mentioned.
As for me, I have more jobs than I know what to do with. In August, I started working at Mueller Park Junior High, as a resource room paperwork aid. I didn’t realize my new job had perks! I haven’t been able to diagram a sentence, add, multiply, and divide fractions since high school, but now I can! I am also still working on weekends at Gymboree, the children’s clothing store. I keep telling myself, I need to drop something, but their discount has come in very handy.

With the political, economic, and geographic unrest in the world, it has become a huge reminder to us what is really important in life. Mike and I feel very privileged and blessed to have a warm home, good jobs, wonderful family, and special friends to share the true meaning of Christmas with. As you read our holiday “letter”, please know that we love each and every one of you. Our wish to you is that your holidays are also filled with what is most important.

With Much Love, The Preas Family

Didn't See It, But Heard About It...

Background Info....
Thanksgiving evening, Mike and I put out our Christmas decorations. I overheard Mike talking to Abby about the tree skirt. Abby couldn't grasp the concept of a skirt for a tree. Mike wouldn't let her take it out from under the tree.

Story...
I had to work at the store today, but Mike told me the funniest thing. Earlier today Mike, Abby, and myself went to the movies. Getting ready, Abby chose a red sweater swing tank that is worn with a white shirt underneath. We had to do some strong convincing for her to wear the white shirt underneath (often Abby likes to "hoochy" up her outfits). After the movie, Mike brought Abby home to freshen up, afterwhich they were to go to a friends' house to play games. Mike went to the restroom and when he came out of the restroom, Abby had stripped the white shirt off, but in her haste at putting the red sweater tank back on, it became inside out and she was wearing the tree skirt!

I'm still laughing and wishing I was the one to see it!

I am... (Thanks Karene!)

I got this questionnaire from Karene's blog and it looked really fun to do. All you need to do is type in the first thing that comes to your mind:

i am: relieved it is the weekend
i know: my husband loves me
i want: to be debt free
i have: to go to work in a couple hours
i hate: a messy house
i miss: my figure from high school
i feel: content
i hear: the dog whining to come in the house
i smell: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies baking
i crave: a day to sleep in
i search: the internet for the perfect, economic gifts for Christmas
i love: my bookclub
i care: about my friends
i always: love hearing Abby laugh
i believe: things happen for a reason
i sing: because I am happy, not because I'm good at it
i write: not enough
i lose: track of time when hanging out with friends. Thanks Andrea and Trish!!!
i win: probably the same as Karene... which is nothing... can't think of anything I have won, except that trip to Mexico 6 years ago, and that wedding cake topper 13 years ago...
i never: have been a huge risk taker
i listen: to talk radio
i am scared: of Abby going completely deaf
i need: to spend more quality time with Mike
i am happy about: all the fixer uppers done to our house!
i tag: anyone...these things are fun!

Gymnastics

Itsy Bitsy Spider and Speed Alphabet in one call!

Some Days Moms are in the Dog House Too!

Before I start, I just want to wish everyone a belated Halloween! It was a mixed bag at our house. Abby's parents (mostly me) didn't fare very well in her eyes, so it was a good thing she had a Halloween party at preschool the day before so not all her memories of this year's Halloween are ruined. The picture directly below is of Abby and her friend Kaylynn the day before her horrible evening.
The picture below is on Halloween night. Abby fell asleep that afternoon, I wasn't too worried because I thought it was a great time to put a lasagne together for dinner. Afterwhich, I realized I had better hurry and get ready to work at Gymboree. Well I hurried, and got Abby up to get her into her costume. She became VERY angry when I did her hair in a bun, not a ponytail... I put lipstick on her cheeks to give them color (looking back I don't think I needed to do that. Anger does the same thing! I didn't realize that she even knew the difference, but she does!) ...AND, AND I drew eyelashes onto her skin, which she rapidly wiped off. Abby was so disappointed with my efforts that she just fell apart. To make matters worse, she didn't want to wear the underskirt to her costume (If she doesn't the dress becomes too long) so I tied knots in the bottom of her dress, then pinned the knots up so they didn't show. I guess she didn't like knots in her dress. I just didn't want her to trip walking around. Because of this, once she finally started trick or treating with friends, she wouldn't lighten up. Mike ended up carrying her and stopped trick or treating all together because neither were having fun.

I wish I could show really fun Halloween pictures, but this is what I have. The first picture, I had to pirate from a friends blog. Thanks Heidi! Even though Abby looks really torked at me, doesn't she still look great?