Merry Christmas!! 

Chapter 3 (or 7 depending on how you look at it but I digress…)

 2005.    A lot of change.  We are now Pennsylvanians.  Quakers.  “Friends”.  Not quite Amish.  We have been introduced to the only formal “fight song” of the NFL and many people who paint themselves green on fall Sundays.  Deer are as populous as birds and have already taken out one of the cars.  And I never knew that Cheese Whiz came in kegs.

 And for a little family so ingrained in New England that we perceived New York City as the Mason-Dixon line, we have indeed learned a lot.  First and foremost that our country is made up of a lot of really nice people; moving is more adventure than fear; and family makes the world go round.

Ben turned 7 at the Harvard-Yale game.  And while his actual birthday was three days later, the Meyer’s believe THE GAME is such a coming-of-age experience that you get older just by the incredulity born from that particular contest.   A self-proclaimed architect in the making, Ben has now constructed Fenway Park out of legos, train mountains out of old socks, and car garages out of his mothers bras but not sure she knows that.

Cooper (almost 5) has said that he wants to be Jason Varitek (Red Sox).  Once proclaimed, he ran into the other room and – with permanent marker – drew a goatee on himself.  Unfortunately he looked more like Winnie the Pooh who had stuffed his face in blueberry jam.  The sports nut of the family, Cooper can be heard from the basement at all hours leaping through the air, mimicking the roar of the crowd, and practicing his victory dance as he scores the game winning touchdown.  Occasionally he is buck naked.  Not sure the NFL holds that option out for tomorrow’s players but he can always hope.

 Griffin (almost 2) looks like one of the Who’s down in Whooville from the Grinch and is constantly giggling at his brothers.  Now that we have convinced him to stop licking the electrical outlets and sticking his face in the heating vents, Polly and I think we can send the de-fibrillator back to the hospital.  Enamored with Elmo, Griffin can be heard screaming his name as if the Beatles had just jumped into his crib.

Polly and I took our very first trip away to Bermuda un-chaperoned by our children.  We took the fact that my parents had the car packed and running as we drove back in the driveway simply as a sign of efficiency.  The move has been good but meeting new friends takes time and we wish you were all here with us.  But we are blessed with giggles and hugs all around us and hope the season brings you the same. 

 All love,

 Christian, Polly, Ben, Cooper and Griffin