Maier Family Christmas Card 2018

Family and friends,

We have had a marvelous year. It’s been a whirlwind.

Jon looked for a job for months and we weren’t finding “the” job. Out of nowhere, we got a call back from a company he’d applied to months before and wanted to work for. They wanted him to start in two weeks! He put in his notice and we quickly started the process of moving to Michigan! Jon lived with my parents for about a month while we looked for and bought our first home! It backs up to a park and fulfilled most of our dreams although it sadly only has a two car garage. Jon’s been making a lot of projects with his 3D printer, organizing his office, and managing all of our home improvement projects.

Sarah lived alone for about a month with the kids. She somehow still has most of her hair and the kids are still alive. A big shout out to great grandparents who helped watch the kids during crucial parts of the move. We could not have done it without you. The move was rough and in the middle of an intense semester of grad school. It still has her frazzled but things are finally calming down. She did a lot of home improvement projects on the house and has learned a lot about flooring and mudding drywall and has painted a lot.  In the month of November Sarah participated in NANOWRIMO and wrote a memoir. It’s just a rough draft but she wrote 50,000 words.

Zoey (4) is doing home school preschool at home right now and learning to read! She is as stubborn as she is cute. She hates that she no longer shares a room with her boys. She used to beg for a sister every day but we got her a girl puppy instead and she feels better now that the boy to girl ratio is even in the house. She’s growing up so quickly.

Jackson (3) is as mischievous as he is chubby. He loves playing in the sink, mopping my floors with sink water, and leaving it to sit. He also loves playing with cars and trains. He is fast at solving puzzles, would live outside if I let him, and loves to bug his puppy, poking her in the eyes and growling at her. He’s sweet as can be though and still cuddles us daily and tells us he loves us.

Theodore (2) is loves to ‘nuggle’ (snuggle). He’s definitely the baby of the family and is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He loves legos, cars and trains. He would eat bananas and cookies for every meal if we let him. He talks a lot for his age and keeps up with the big kids fairly well.

Scout (5 month old puppy) is our latest addition. She’s a lab/whippet mix and is as sweet as can be. She’s still learning how to be calm when people come over but will typically calm down for a bone. She loves being chased after, watching the park and making friends with every dog and child that comes to the park. We adore her.

Thanks for being part of our lives, we love you and hope you feel loved this holiday season.

-The Maier Family

Kid Quotes

"How about we make a car house with our legos!! There's red ones and green ones. We need MORE legos for out big car house. I have a big idea here!" -Jackson

"That's called a garage, Jack" -Mom

"Nope, its a car house!" -Jack

"Teddy did it!" -Zoey

"No, Zoey, he could not have." -Mom

"I always say the wall looks a little ugly so I made is pretty. I wanted to make it pink and purple." 

When we picked out Scout, Zoey fell in love with a kitten. I was tempted to buy it but she was squeezing it a little too hard and I was scared she might accidentally kill it. She was mad at me for about a week then one day she said,
"I really DO like our dog! Maybe I don't need a cat!" -Zoey

"Where did those veggie straws come from Jack???" -Mom
"On the tree!" -Jack

"I'd like to hang out with grandma for a long, long, long, LONG time. Not a short time." -Zoey

"Is grandpa going to be at the park???? I like grandpa!" -Jack

"I'm so sleepy." -Mom
"I know. You just have to fill our milk bottles. make our food and get Teddy up." -Zoey
"And then can I sleep?" -Mom
"No, because. When daddy's out of work then you can sleep." -Zoey

"Can we stop cuddling please?" -Mom
"No mom, I NEEEEEEEEEED you to cuddle" -Zoey

"Do you want to play with Zoey?" -Mom
"No!" -Teddy
"Do you want to play with mommy?" -Mom
"No! Daddy!" - Teddy
"Daddy's at work" -Mom
"No!" -Teddy

"The puppy needs to go in a car seat but we don't like the puppy in our car seats. I just like the puppy to go in a different car seat. Or the puppy can go in the back to sit. Hmmmm. Mom, there's seats in the back that go up. Can the puppy go in the back seat?" -Zoey

"Daddy doesn't sleep with me because he's hard to sleep with." -Zoey

"We really need to get two babies! A boy and a girl. We have two boys but we don't have three boys! I love my brothers." -Zoey

"What are you making? I'm making the strongest blue house! Look mom, I made the biggest blue house in the world!" -Jackson

*annoyed* "Daddy's staying with you kids. Jon, you better stay with him. *With glee* I'm going, bye bye kids, see ya later! Uhm, Jon, can you do something for me? I've got to go to school. I know, Jon, but I've got to go to school. Ugh, kids, come on." 
-Zoey, nailing an impression of Sarah

"I'll read you a book and then we'll go to bed." -Jon
"Make it two books. And in my room." -Jackson

"According to my research this is annoying. My brothers are so loud!" -Zoey

"How about we get two cribs so my baby sister can have a crib! I can share my big girl bed with my brother so we can have a crib. I NEEEEED a baby sister." -Zoey

"You kill me kiddo"-Mom
*cynical voice* "I do kill you." - Zoey

"Tenticles!! The tree has tenticles!!!!" -Jack, noticing branches for the first time.

"The stick is stuck!" -Jack, noticing roots for the first time.

"The little pizzas need their big daddy pizzas." -Zoey, talking about pizza rolls

"Why don't you suck on your other thumb, this one is hurt." -Mom
"My other thumb doesn't work!" -Zoey

*sees a clearing of grass on our family hike* "There's the adventure!!!" -Zoey

*slyly* "My shoe's not tied" -Zoey
"Why is it not tied?" -Mom
"Because I ruined it" -Zoey
"Yeah, you did." -Mom

The Tunips (from Octonauts) speaking with each other 
"Oh, I missed you! I was in Zoey's backpack. I was worried about you. How was your day???? Why is she hugging me? Because she likes you!" -Zoey

"I don't feel good Zo." -Mom
"It's ok, daddy will be home soon!" -Zoey

"Sorry I almost hit you. It was a little bit funny!" -Zoey

"You're making me SO MAD Jack! No! No! Clean your room!" -Zoey
"No" -Jack
"YESSSSS" -Zoey

"Go downstairs Teddy." -Mom
"I don't want to!" -Teddy at 18 months (I told you he was sassy!)

"Dinotrux, dinotrux, dinotrux all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey! Dinotrux, dinotrux, jingle all the way" -Jackson

*Driving up to preschool* "Yay, Zoey! Ijust want to hug her in preschool!" -Jackson

"This valentine is so cute and humongous!" -Zoey