Thankful, 2009

We forgot to do our Thanksgiving tradition this year of going around the table and making everyone say what they're thankful for. That is disappointing, because I fully expect to become Chaplin-Kramer tradition, and so far we're only 1 for 2. I must have been distracted. I blame the bacon rolls.

So post-hoc, what we are thankful for in 2009 is this:

Becky is thankful for the opportunity to have a baby as a 24th-grader. There are upsides and downsides to being a student for the first 30 years of your life, but a major upside is having the flexibility to spend however much time you need or want to with your family. I'm not sure how the next step is going to work, but this year has been a gift.

The thing that Danny is thankful for is complicated. Years ago, on a trip to Tahoe, he went jumping off some foolishly tall rocks into Angora Lake. A comrade in this endeavor described the height of the rocks as being tall enough to give you opportunity to pause as you fall towards the lake and realize that you're falling before your brain turns off and returns to abject panic. Danny finds rock-jumping at Angora to be a fitting allegory for the first year of parenthood, and is thankful for those moments of pause amidst the panic.

Jack is thankful for a new kitchen floor. Look!



He really loves it!!! (click below to see just how much)