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. 

Right now we’re happy and tired and hopeful. After a year and a half COVID isn’t as scary as it once was. We’ve learned to navigate around it, also our fear tank has run dry. We grit our teeth behind our masks and do the best we can. We’re not quite there yet. Our boys are too young to be vaccine eligible. There is no deep, or semi deep breath, for us as parents. I’m still sad for what the boys are missing out on because of our comfortability/safety. I’m still nervous about the things we are doing, navigating a big gray void of caution and wondering where a landmine might be if I overstep. I’m still annoyed every time I’m juggling two kids, a diaper bag, water bottles, snacks, The Special Blankie, putting shoes on, to get out the door and have to remember the damn masks. I’m more annoyed when I’m juggling all those things and physically sweating as I have to keep my face covered--and even worse when we’re somewhere like the doctor’s office where A is SO nervous, clinging to me l...

The weather was great, the company was great and the costumes were great. We had such an epic Halloween this year. C was old enough to get it, and had the stamina to back it up. With a friend the two boys ran non-stop up to 50+ houses, trick-or-treating for 1.5 hours total before coming home to eat a second dinner and pass out. He was Spiderman this year, as were 3 other boys in his class. What a big year for Spideys everywhere. My littlest, A, was a puppy dog, who only sort of understood the entire concept. He did like going up to houses for candy, even if it was a little scary, and was very sad his sucker was taken away from him at bedtime.  I loved hosting our family friends again for the holiday. This year's big food hits were "goblin juice" (colored lemonade), breadstick snakes and Meijer spinach dip spooned into a bell pepper to look fancy. Which by the way very much makes it "my recipe".