This blog was written by my co-editor Cheryl Clemens:

Why is it that I can remember where just about everything in the house is, but no one else can?

All day long I hear:

Where are my purple shoes?

Where’s my DS?

Where’s the remote?

Where are the Pop Tarts?

Where are my keys?

The worst is when someone is standing in front of the fridge with the door wide open, gazing in, and they call out something like, “Where’s the mayo?”

“You are staring in the fridge,” I reply. “Look harder!”

“But I don’t see it!”

And I always give in. “Bottom shelf, left side, halfway back,” I say, defeated.

A comedian used to say families did this because they assumed the uterus was like a homing device.

I think it’s because I’m usually the one that puts things away.

Here’s the question. When do you start letting your kids in on the New Year’s Eve celebration?
In the past, my husband and I have always employed my father-in-law to sit with the kids while we’ve headed over to a friend’s house for a relaxing late dinner and drinks to welcome in the New Year. The kids were in bed at their normal time and sound asleep by the the stroke of midnight.
This year, however, Maggie — who will be 11 on Jan. 2 — expressed a desire to see in the New Year. It would seem our days of adult only celebrations are of the past — at least until the kids have better things to do on New Years than spend it with their parents.
So the plan is to have over friends with similar age children and see how long they last. We will provide plenty of sleeping bags incase the kids crash before the ball drops. It will certainly be different, but it might be fun.
One thing is for sure, New Years Day will be a little more low key than in the past.

A friend recently sent me a link to a song. It really got me thinking about our country and standing up for freedom. Does everyone have the rights our forefathers hoped for us or are we moving farther away from that ideal? Is there more we could be doing to make sure that our children do? Check out this song, it’s called “Born Again American” and see what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts. It totally touched me.

A white Christmas in Maryland — what a treat!

Hope your day is full of peace, joy and contentment.

From our Maryland Family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!

Betsy Stein and Cheryl Clemens

Christmas Eve is my favorite.

I love the anticipation of the day, the excitement, the traditions and the time to just be together as a family.

We have a few traditions, some that only happen years that my husband doesn’t work, and some that we make happen every year. The first is that the kids open their gifts to each other Christmas Eve morning. We started this the first year they actually bought presents for each other with their own money. Since they didn’t have much to spend, and the presents were pretty small, we decided to let them open them on Christmas Eve so the gifts wouldn’t get lost amidst the Christmas haul. The kids love it, and they really get a chance to appreciate what the others picked out for them.

Some years we’ve gone on a Christmas Eve hike and out to lunch, and some years we’ve visited a train garden. Most years the kids pick a Christmas video to watch in the afternoon. Two years ago I had to force them to watch “Miracle on 34th Street.” Maggie was sure she would hate it (don’t ask my why) but now it’s one of her favorites.

We always go to church in the evening and have dinner after. This will be the first year we are actually planning to get together with family for Christmas Eve dinner. That is — unless the little virus that’s been bugging our family doesn’t go away.

Then we will come home and check where Santa is on the Norad Tracks Santa Web site. If you’ve never seen this, you have to check it out. It actually tells you were Santa is at any given time on Christmas Eve and provides a little information about each place as well. The kids totally love it.

Finally, there’s the reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and off to bed to wait for Santa.

We at Maryland Family hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

This blog was written by co-editor Cheryl Clemens:

Big meal, presents, decorated tree, out-of-town company, long distance phone calls … I’m already getting stressed about Christmas day.

Here is what I’ve decided to keep in mind that day to keep everything in perspective and actually enjoy myself:

1. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s the imperfect moments that we seem to remember most fondly. So be flexible and laugh things off.

2. Don’t rush. Be aware of what is going on and drink it in. The day will be over before you know it so remember to stop a few times and just look around at who is there and what is going on.

3. Let the kids help. Will they make a mess? Probably. But they will have so much more fun being a part of the action and helping the grownups. And if you have to clean something up, so what? It will be worth it to see the looks on their faces.

4. Make time to call those out of town. A lot of times this slips through the cracks because the day is so hectic, but it means so much to those who can’t be with you. Even if you just leave a message, that friend or relative will know you were thinking of them and set aside time to connect with them.

5. Make physical contact. Hug, kiss, touch someone’s arm or shoulder, pick up the kids, snuggle the babies. Even if you’re not a touchy-feely person, today is the day to be close and connect — emotionally, spiritually and physically. Even the smallest gestures send a big message. Plus it just feels nice.

If you have any tips you’d like to share, please add them.

There are many great things about snow but the absolute best is the neighborliness it brings out.

I love our street when it snows. First of all, you can count on the fact that someone will host a chili dinner the night of any significant snow fall. This tradition was started years ago by the family across the street who have older kids and who, sadly, are moving at the end of the month.

I got a call from Bob Saturday morning letting me know that the open house they had planned for that day was postponed but that he had plenty of chili makings. I offered our house and a batch of my own and started spreading the word.

By then end of a day of shoveling, sledding and fort making — we had 25 people for dinner, four batches of chili, corn bread, salad, pumpkin pie, chicken nuggets and plenty of chips.

After the blizzard of 2003, that same neighbor suggested we all go in on a snow blower. He did the research, decided how much each interested neighbor should contribute (depending on how much sidewalk and driveway they had), purchased the blower and houses it under his porch.

This was the first time in four years that the blower had been used. It took more than half of Saturday to get it running, but once it was — the neighborhood dads got to work. My husband — the snow blower mechanic –  took the first swing to clear everyone out. Mr. Steve down the street got his hands on the blower Sunday and cleared everyone’s paths, drives and even half the street. We’re not sure where we are going to keep the blower once Bob and his family move, but we’re hoping the new family will become part of the snow blower club.

Then there are the kids. Though they usually get along — it is so great to see all ages building forts and having fun together. When they tire of playing in the neighborhood, we parents take turns running them down to the sledding hill a little ways away. Mr. Steve took Saturday’s shift, I went yesterday and Ms. Teresa took them today.

We are a neighborhood that has always been friendly, but as our kids get older and more busy — there is less time for front yard lounging and cookouts. A snow storm, however, is always a sure bet that we will get a chance to spend time together.

Neighborhood kids ages 2 to 13 gather around the dinner table.

Last week my husband and I brought home an early Christmas present for the kids.

A small infestation of mice (we caught two in a week) was the clincher in making this purchase decision. It seemed the right time to replace Willie, our 17-year-old  cat who died last spring.

I have to admit that I was enjoying our pet-free home. I didn’t have to walk over floors littered with kitty litter, didn’t have to buy or scoop out litter, didn’t have to worry about shutting doors, or new furniture being peed on and most of all I loved having the space in the bottom of my wardrobe for shoes again — it had become Willie’s bed/hiding place.

So it was with trepidation that I relented to get a kitten.

The kids had quit asking when it was going to happen, resigned that it probably wouldn’t — so they were quite surprised when we came home with the furry bundle. Maggie’s jaw dropped when she saw the kitten and she hasn’t stopped saying thank you. Lilly named the kitten Lucy and miraculously everyone agreed. They all follow the kitten around the house and Jonah keeps forgetting her name. It’s been very entertaining.

So now we have a pet again. And I have to say — it was quite sweet to fall asleep with a little purring fur ball curled up next to me that first night. And a little less sweet to wake up to something pouncing on my feet.

This blog was written by my co-editor Cheryl Clemens:

I spent the better part of our company holiday lunch the other day holding one of my co-worker’s 1-year-old daughter Katie. She sat on my lap, babbled sweetly, chewed on breadsticks and basically just charmed everyone at the table. I hated to give her back to her mother.

Boy do I miss those days. Although with my kids, I recall them digging their fingers into my food and making messes, crying, kicking, knocking things over. I remember struggling at parties to just take a few bites of my meal and being so grateful when anyone would take my little one, if only for a few minutes.

I remember getting babysitters and running, yes running, giddily from the house. A few hours on my own or with my husband were so precious, I didn’t want to waste a second.

Now, with two teenagers, there’s always someone at home to watch the youngest (although sometimes I think it’s really the little one keeping an eye on her older brother and sister!).

It’s so much easier to get out of the house now, but I don’t treasure the time like I used to. Maybe that’s a mistake. Once upon a time even a trip alone to the grocery store was a gift. Now I stop on the way home from work and never give it a second thought.

I think I’m going to add that to my list of things to think about in the new year.