Dana Burland

It doesn’t actually feel like I left the house in 2021. Surely I did… to get the mail, milk and bread. I wore a mask this year. I wore pajamas. I drank a lot of coffee and never felt more energized. I got a new fancy stove-top coffee gizmo for Christmas. It reminds me to be slow and steady. My garden absolutely boomed. In late August we ate cucumbers with every meal. I also grew one peony. We found the best big and small (Myers Lake Park in Rockford) lake spots this year. I bought myself beautiful cut peonies. We traveled twice (legit, out of state traveling). Saw friends maybe three times. Saw family more. I started a new job. It was a big, wildly uncomfortable, completely brilliant, wonderfully-life-altering-for-my-family leap which, at only 3 months in, has resulted in more professional happiness than I’ve felt in years. I bought a lot of stuff off Amazon. Washable markers. The next size up in little boy shoes, and the next, and the next. Drill bits. A portable mini campfi...

Feliz Navidad Police Navidad Police Navidad Próspero año y policidad Police Navidad Firetruck Navidad Police Navidad Próspero año o muchos vehiculos I wanna wish you a merry Christmas I wanna wish you a (teddy) beary Christmas I wanna wish you race car Christmas From the bottom of my heart I wanna wish you a transformers Christmas I wanna wish you a Lego Christmas I wanna wish you a Spiderman Christmas From the bottom of my heart Police Navidad Ambulance Navidad Firetruck Navidad And every service vehicle you can dream of

Today, sweet little A, you’re two-years-old. The last two years have really felt like 20 with what they’ve brought in terms of stress, change and uncertainty. But you, little A, you’ve been a roll-with-the-punches, sweet little glowing light in our lives. We’ve watched you completely and flawlessly adapt to any and all situations–be that outgrowing stomach troubles and jaundice as a newborn, a global health pandemic, or the occasional pandemic-like intensity of your older brother. Lately we’ve been marveling every day when you wake up bigger, bolder and coming into your own. You’ll firmly tell me “I DO IT!” as you insist on using your whole body to climb into the car and onto your car seat at daycare pick up. I try to give you the space, standing in the cold as you take your time, just so I can hear the sweet sentiment of pride when you get there: “I did it!” You express such strong opinions at times, like when we snort to mimic the sound of a pig and you correct us by saying...

Boy did our boys have a great Hanukkah this year. Every night we lit the candles and said the prayers together. By the 6th night C had the prayers nearly memorized. After the candles were lit we opened one of 8 paper chain links–each one with something special for that night. This year’s paper chain items included things like: movie night, present night, dance party, cookie baking and pick toys to donate night. The big present for both boys were new Legos and a Lego table semi-built by Mom. It’s special to see the boys both “get it” more, and also wide-eyed learning. Personally I love Hanukkah. There’s so much excitement and fun, plus I can’t ever get over how calm and beautiful the candles look when they’re glowing bright. I know the boys felt that this year, too.

There's a direct correlation between how I'm doing and how my occasional Mr. Toast Faces turn out. I'd say right now I'm doing pretty good.