tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50166062404531030712024-02-20T17:05:26.429-08:00Greetings from ElmiraErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-64772320665718532662007-12-20T17:16:00.000-08:002007-12-20T19:32:10.809-08:00Additional Anecdotes<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >December 2007<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Last summer,<span style=""> </span>Kate and Connor are out of sight of Ellen and Eric, but we can hear Kate.<span style=""> </span>“I’m tearing off the arms.”<span style=""> </span>“I’m tearing off the head”.<span style=""> </span>Ellen is curious.<span style=""> </span>“Kate, what are you doing?”<span style=""> </span>“I’m just looking at a pile of body parts mother.”<span style=""> </span>Eric is amused.<span style=""> </span>Ellen, not so much.<span style=""> </span>“Whose body parts Kate?” “Jacob’s.<span style=""> </span>He was mean to his little sister.” <span style=""> </span>Subtle. <span style=""> </span>Of course, Connor didn’t get the hint about treating little sisters well so he slept fine that night.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Kate found a small frog and picked it up. Ellen, distracted by a visitor at the time, made several requests of Kate to release the animal before looking over to find the frog lying on its back in Kate’s open hand. Ellen: “Kate, is that frog dead?”<span style=""> </span>Kate: “Not yet, mother.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p>Eric was passing by when he heard Kate tell Connor: <span style=""> </span>“Don’t worry Buck, I will get a couple of grown-ups to handle it”.<span style=""> </span>Curious Eric inquired if he and Ellen were the grown-ups she had in mind and Kate confirmed that yes mom and dad were now “a couple of grown-ups”.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p>Kate asked Ellen what she wanted to be when she grew-up, Ellen told told her that she was a physical therapist.<span style=""> </span>Kate’s take: "They just help people.<span style=""> </span>What else do you want to be?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;">Ellen: "What would you like for dinner?"</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;">Kate: "Buck Soup"</p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Ellen: "You have to cook something to make soup."</p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Kate: "He's my brother, I can do what I want with him."<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Surprising in a different way, was an episode last winter when Kate was still 3.<span style=""> </span>Connor and Eric are playing Connect 4 and are near the end of a long game.<span style=""> </span>Connor is actually a pretty good Connect 4 player.<span style=""> </span>Kate wanders into the room seconds before Connor makes a move.<span style=""> </span>She stops and Eric makes a winning move.<span style=""> </span>Connor is looking at the game when Kate offers: “You lose Buck.<span style=""> </span>Four in a row diagonal.<span style=""> </span>You should have moved here.”<span style=""> </span>Pointing to a play at the last.<span style=""> </span>This was especially surprising because no one had taught Kate how to the play the game and she had never shown any interest in it.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-15420149533478336362007-12-20T17:09:00.000-08:002007-12-20T19:30:54.724-08:00Holiday Letter 2007<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 2007<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Friends-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holiday Greetings from Elmira, New York where the firemen still wear their clothes to work every day.<span style=""> </span>We have grown a year older since we last wrote and hopefully everyone this is being sent to has done the same.<span style=""> </span>Otherwise we have wasted a stamp.<span style=""> </span>It was a year of change here but even as some things change others stay the same.<span style=""> </span>For example, our better-than-natural-green-spray-painted-genuine-pine wreath has entered its ninth year of service on our front door.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We experienced progress this year.<span style=""> </span>Well, maybe not progress, but we did experience change.<span style=""> </span>Change is like progress if you’re billing by the hour.<span style=""> </span>It’s the kind of progress you get when by cleaning a room you start by dumping the contents of every drawer on the floor or when you start the renovation of your house by taking off a bathroom door.<span style=""> </span>And since we don’t see much progress here, we will happily take credit for anything close.<span style=""> </span>What progress that does occur here comes in two flavors, Eric Progress (otherwise called ‘one-step-forward-sit-down-and–rest’ progress) and Ellen Progress (often referred to as ‘one-step-forward-one-step-sideways-spin-in-a-random-direction-and-go-go-go’ progress).<span style=""> </span>Our sub-optimal approaches did, however, net some quantifiable gains.<span style=""> </span>We completed the shed-to-playhouse conversion that, for a bit, looked as though it would eventually land on Connor’s to-do list.<span style=""> </span>It wasn’t easy and required the drastic measure of Eric putting the rest of the family on a plane to Alaska, getting some outside help and then waiting on Ellen to get back to help finish things up.<span style=""> </span>On the downside, power tools for Connor no longer seem the ideal holiday gift.<span style=""> </span>On the upside the whole family enjoyed the Alaska trip. <span style=""> </span>Especially Connor, who caught a shark while fishing in the Pacific, but we digress.<span style=""> </span>The downstairs bathroom/laundry room/pantry renovation started in 2005 is moving along as a pace that should see it completed in 2009.<span style=""> </span>Or 2010. <span style=""> </span>We did get the door back on the bathroom.<span style=""> </span>And then we took it off again.<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The leaf battle took a nasty turn this year.<span style=""> </span>Apparently Mother Nature was smarting from the lopsided defeat we handed her last year and dug down deep into her bag of tricks.<span style=""> </span>The leaves, normally off the trees by late October, hung on the trees until early December and coordinated their descent with that of the first significant snowfall of the season.<span style=""> </span>They peek insolently through the snow at us even now.<span style=""> </span>We had been fans of global warming here but now with its apparent affects on when leaves fall we will have to reconsider our opinion.<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our house goes as Kate goes and 2007 could have been worse.<span style=""> </span>Kate has evolved from ‘demonic’ to ‘odd’ in a way you simply have to experience.<span style=""> </span>Since you probably weren’t paying close attention over the past year try and imagine an outgoing, well-adjusted and charming four year old girl . . . that will be our jumping off point.<span style=""> </span>Now take away her conscience and throw in an unsettling level of comfort with dead things.<span style=""> </span>You are getting warm.<span style=""> </span>How comfortable is Kate with dead things?<span style=""> </span>One day walking in from the car Ellen, Connor and Kate passed the remains of a small, furry creature that apparently made the acquaintance of one of our cats.<span style=""> </span>Upon entering, Kate quietly took off her shoes, put on her boots and went back outside.<span style=""> </span>Kate came back inside, “Mommy, can you tell me what this black stuff is?”<span style=""> </span>That Ellen already knew that the “black stuff” was what was formerly inside the ex-rodent probably tells you all you need to know.<span style=""> </span>We have a hundred other Kate anecdotes but space limitations here mean you’ll have to visit <a href="http://holidayletters.blogspot.com/">http://holidayletters.blogspot.com/</a><span style=""> </span>to see them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As Kate goes through phases (or, perhaps, roles) Connor simply becomes a bigger Connor <span style=""> </span>He remains sweet and naïve while also getting much, much louder.<span style=""> </span>There are little changes. he didn’t spend this flag football season skipping around the field with a Winnie-the-Pooh-like smile on his face the whole game, but if you knew Connor last year, or the year before, or the year before you’d recognize him now.<span style=""> </span>He remains polite to a fault as you can literally sidetrack an outburst by throwing compliments at him as he will meet every interrupting platitude with a “Thank you”.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Connor presents the sort of dogged determination that is not side-tracked by lateral thinking nor found in his paternal ancestry. <span style=""> </span>Not only is he as purposeful as Ellen, he’s also every bit as sweet and gullible as his mother was when she met Eric. <span style=""> </span>When a neighbor sold his house this year and Connor was informed that a girl he knows from school will soon be moving into the house where Dr. Zama lives now, Connor’s response was "Dr. Zama will certainly be surprised."<span style=""> </span>When Connor recently did something very out of character and Eric asked the rhetorical: “Who are you?”.<span style=""> </span>Connor, a little surprised but completely serious, replied: <span style=""> </span>“It’s me, Buck.<span style=""> </span>That was an easy question.<span style=""> </span>You should know that one Daddy.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eric, Ellen, Connor and Kate<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-73528611318523505662007-06-20T11:07:00.000-07:002007-06-20T11:09:20.582-07:00Holiday Letter 2006<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 2006</span><span style="background: lime none repeat scroll 0% 50%; font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="background: lime none repeat scroll 0% 50%; font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Friends-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>Holiday Greetings from Elmira, New York where even the cats sleep lightly since our three-year-old, at her birthday party, hugged her mother and uttered these unforgettable words: "I squeeze your neck mama.<span style=""> </span>Like the lion squeezes the zebra's neck.”<span style=""> </span>And now you know why we don’t keep firearms in the house.<span style=""> </span>Also, for those of you who were worried that we had modernized, fear not; our better-than-natural-green-spray-painted-genuine-pine wreath has entered its eighth year of service on our front door.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The past year has seen progress on many fronts.<span style=""> </span>For example, the average daily population of our house dropped to 4.2 from 4.8 in each the two preceding years.<span style=""> </span>Yes, over the preceding two years we were the mythical average family with 2.5 children (if you conveniently ignore that one of those children turned 28 this past year and that average family is collectively dysfunctional while our family is individually. . . different).<span style=""> </span>None of that changes the math that the average population of this house won’t reach the ideal population of 2 for another fifteen years or until Ellen buys into the idea of boarding school for Kate (which becomes an easier sell almost daily).<span style=""></span></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Another quantifiable advance has been made here in the annual battle between The Hanson Family and The Hanson Family’s Trees.<span style=""> </span>In the not-too-distant past this was a brutal battle easily extracting eighty hours of toil from Eric in weather conditions a computer programmer rarely encounters (we won’t mention Ellen’s involvement in this as she has no complaints about outdoor work in inclimate weather).<span style=""> </span>However, we are not the first family to face these hardships and we quickly decided to learn from the work of others.<span style=""> </span>It became clear, almost immediately, upon researching the history of man versus tree conflict that the technological advantage that man possesses cannot be over-estimated.<span style=""> </span>Once we came to understand this, the tide of the once epic struggle slowly, undeniably and inexorably moved in favor of the side possessing chainsaw technology.<span style=""> </span>Each year a new technological advantage has been added to our arsenal and 2006 was no different with the addition of a zero-turn-triple-bagger-fifty-inch-deck-turbo-vacuum-equipped-leaf-annihilator.<span style=""> </span>What was once an 80 hour undertaking that included the risk of blisters and cold fingers has now become a 20 hour commune with nature.<span style=""> </span>With the leaves vanquished our little empire will now turn its attention to crushing the stubborn resistance of the gnats in 2007.<span style=""></span></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finally, we did cross one entry off of our to-do list.<span style=""> </span>The sand and gravel piles in the driveway that we previously mentioned in our 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 letters are now gone. Don't ask where.<span style=""> </span>Eric hated to see them go as this only reinforces Ellen’s behavior of asking Eric to finish things.<span style=""> </span>In a review of other old news: Eric's 10 day office remodeling project which was in month 6 in December 2000 is now in year 6.<span style=""> </span>The rec room in basement project, at the top of the to-do list in 2001's letter has not yet been started.<span style=""> </span>Nothing remains from our 2003 letter simply because we accomplished nothing in 2002 and so 2003’s letter had no new failures to offer . . . just old failures re-failed.<span style=""> </span>The shed to playhouse conversion started in 2004 is going slowly enough that the kids may be able to finish it themselves at some point.<span style=""></span></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We still have two children (after last year’s letter we feared it may be too obvious if down-sized right away) and just love to share the <s>pain</s> interesting moments they cause us with others.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Connor had a good year.<span style=""> </span>He learned a lot.<span style=""> </span>Early in the year, while taking down last year’s holiday decorations, Ellen explained to him the reason for Christmas: to celebrate Baby Jesus’ birthday.<span style=""> </span>She should have seen the next question coming from an inquiring mind that hasn't been told it's not polite to ask how old someone is: "How old is Baby Jesus?"<span style=""> </span>Uh-oh, we all know what a quick thinker Ellen is.<span style=""> </span>"Um, he lives up in heaven."<span style=""> </span>Yeah, mom.<span style=""> </span>In the concerned and excited tone that only one of our two children ever speaks in: "<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Baby Jesus passed away?</span>!"<span style=""> </span>Poor Baby Jesus.<span style=""> </span>Shortly after that he learned where ham came from.<span style=""> </span>“Poor piggies.”<span style=""> </span>In March he turned five.<span style=""> </span>He wanted a sign on the door for the party: "You can't come in unless you are naked".<span style=""> </span>Subtle.<span style=""> </span>Clothing optional birthday parties may someday be part of Connor’s life . . . but not this year. In June we went down to the Outer Banks with too many other people (Eric was tricked into the trip again).<span style=""> </span>Everyone had just come back from the beach and it’s dinner time.<span style=""> </span>Five children are eating at the picnic table, one child is eating under the picnic table as if all the world is right.<span style=""> </span>Afterwards, Ellen: "Connor, why were you eating under the picnic table?"<span style=""> </span>Connor: "Laurel wasn't wearing any underwear.<span style=""> </span>I had a good view."<span style=""> </span>Very subtle.<span style=""> </span>(Note to self: send a different version to Laurel’s mom.)<span style=""> </span>Hopefully Connor will figure-out that honesty is not always the best policy at some point.<span style=""> </span>He learned about fishing one day at Ellen’s mother’s.<span style=""> </span>Ed comes into the cabin with a string of fish.<span style=""> </span>Connor: "Those fish don't look well.<span style=""> </span>Are they passed-away?”<span style=""> </span>Well, yes, Connor.<span style=""> </span>They have seen better days.<span style=""> </span>“I didn't want to hurt the fish.<span style=""> </span>I wanted to keep one in a bowl as a pet."<span style=""> </span>Poor fishies.<span style=""> </span>Kate (in the deadpan, matter-of-fact way that only one of our two children ever speaks in): "I want fish soup."<span style=""> </span>Connor had his first season of (flag) football.<span style=""> </span>Another learning experience (“They are blocking kind of hard.”).<span style=""> </span>He learned about gardening.<span style=""> </span>Ellen has a method for killing slugs that trouble her flowers.<span style=""> </span>Poor sluggies. Connor’s thinking on the matter: “We have enough flowers to share”.<span style=""> </span>Actually, that’s the short version . . . the long version involved Ellen getting a long lecture on the ethical treatment of animals.<span style=""> </span>And, finally, Connor embarked on the ultimate learning experience: kindergarten.<span style=""> </span>Kindergarten isn’t easy.<span style=""> </span>First, there’s the getting out of bed at 7 a.m. (“I love this bed and this bed loves me.”) and waking-up after that ("Even the trees look sleepy.").<span style=""> </span>He’s learned how to tie his shoes and, with a little help, make it out the door to the bus stop on time.<span style=""> </span>We assume he also learns things at school.<span style=""> </span>Very soon we expect he’ll learn about Santa Claus there.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our house goes as Kate goes and 2006 was better than expected.<span style=""> </span>Kate turned three in March and entered what we like to call her “Happy Period” about that time as well.<span style=""> </span>That seems to be over now and even during the Happy Period Kate could not be mistaken for a normal child.<span style=""> </span>While she can be as sweet as Connor in short bursts her “default disposition” would not-exactly be characterized as that of a “people person”.<span style=""> </span>For example: "Why are you squeezing my body mother?"<span style=""> </span>"It's called a hug, Kate.”<span style=""> </span>Her social skills already rival Eric’s and that had Eric eagerly anticipating Kate’s entrance to Happy House pre-school this year.<span style=""> </span>Eric had visions of teachers spoiled by three years of Connor ending-up in therapy after two months of Kate. So far her schooling has been amazingly uneventful and perhaps it’s the case that she only wants to torture those closest to her.<span style=""> </span>More likely, though, she’s just biding her time.<span style=""> </span>I’m sure no other three year can make the phrase “I’m just waiting for the right opportunity” sound as ominous as Kate can.<span style=""> </span>While raising Kate provides a unique set of challenges there are some (minor) advantages.<span style=""> </span>For example, no movie-induced nightmares.<span style=""> </span>When asked if she likes movies, Kate replied “Yes, especially very scary ones.”<span style=""> </span>Oh, why do you like scary movies Kate? “They just make me feel good inside.”<span style=""> </span>She remains a big fan of “The Wizard of Oz” though for a while she was very unhappy with Dorothy (for bumping-off the Wicked Witch of the East . . .<span style=""> </span>she thinks the movie would have been much better with two naughty witches) leading to the “Don’t Blame Dorothy” campaign here.<span style=""> </span>The whole house-thing was an accident after all.<span style=""> </span>Sometimes Kate, an avid dancer and optimistic vocalist, will put on her own shows.<span style=""> </span>She will dress-up as a princess-ballerina and demand the attention of all.<span style=""> </span>Just this week she gave a show, beginning with the opening announcement: “Ladies and gentleman, prepare to meet your doom.”<span style=""> </span>We mention this hoping that someone can reassure us that she heard the phrase elsewhere.<span style=""> </span>Kate seems to have developed a strange appreciation of dead things, whether it's a dead fish, a dead butterfly (she keeps a collection of dead bugs on her dresser) or parts of dead things the cats leave about.<span style=""> </span>Could an exorcism cause that? When given a piece of putty at Ellen's office Kate described her sculpture to one of Ellen’s co-workers who was probably trying to humor the sweet little girl by asking her what she was making. Kate’s answer: "It's a frog. A dead frog." <span style=""> </span>When asking Eric to hold one of her dolls, "You can have this one daddy.<span style=""> </span>It's not a doll.<span style=""> </span>It's a real baby that passed-away." Eric didn’t ask how she passed-away, but if it was the same doll Ellen reported Kate punching in the kitchen he has a pretty good idea.<span style=""> </span>Ellen tried to intervene on the doll’s behalf but Kate had a firm theoretical grip on the situation: “It’s just a doll, mommy.”<span style=""> </span>Odd that she realizes that then wants to nurture one lovingly for 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.<span style=""> </span>Corporal punishment has its place (Kate disciplines her dolls), but capital punishment, apparently, also has its place.<span style=""> </span>This is probably a sign of something.<span style=""> </span>So, while 2006 was better than 2005, leading indicators are mixed.<span style=""> </span>Eric and Ellen, however,<span style=""> </span>remain cautiously optimistic.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you read this far you deserve a cookie.<span style=""> </span>Or a beer.<span style=""> </span>You can have either, heck, you can have both.<span style=""> </span>2007 Gathering will be Saturday, October 6th.<span style=""> </span>Mark your calendars.<span style=""> </span>You are invited.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: red;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year,<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eric, Ellen, Connor and Kate<o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-874155444505466812007-06-20T10:56:00.002-07:002007-06-20T10:57:29.742-07:00Holiday Letter 2005<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 2005<o:p><br /></o:p><br />Friends-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holiday Greetings from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place> where we are all beginning to appreciate Global Warming.<span style=""> </span>With only a handful of shopping days remaining in the year we have so far been uninterrupted by those interesting events that sometimes seem to make time pass more slowly.<span style=""> </span>That's not say that the only variety we have is of the "what's for dinner?" kind.<span style=""> </span>It's not even to say that the best variety we have is of the "what's for dinner?" kind.<span style=""> </span>It's just that most of the variety we have that can't be placed on a menu is in the form of the loud noises Connor and Kate make when expressing themselves.<span style=""> </span>A year has past since we last wrote, but things are very much the same here.<span style=""> </span>Connor and Kate are growing . . . but still small.<span style=""> </span>Eric's office is progressing . . . but still unfinished.<span style=""> </span>Our sand and gravel piles are shrinking . . . but still there.<span style=""> </span>Ellen's sister went away . . . but came back.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>Death and taxes may be unavoidable for the unimaginative, but our constants here are construction and noise.<span style=""> </span>Construction is a constant, at least when the definition of the word is expanded to include a project that has had some work done, needs more work done, but is not currently having work done. We have (almost) completed a bathroom renovation this year and our downstairs has experienced some major . . . changes.<span style=""> </span>The noise here is enough to have almost driven Eric from the house.<span style=""> </span>After six years of isolation in the house, Eric was feeling a little too unisolated and felt it necessary to rent an office in a not-too-distant building.<span style=""> </span>The noise has not yet been bad enough to force Eric to actually go and occupy it.<span style=""> </span>Yes, Eric has been renting an office in downtown <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Elmira</st1:place></st1:City> for 6 months.<span style=""> </span>In it is a desk, a chair . . . but no Eric. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>We did manage a week long family vacation.<span style=""> </span>A trip to the Outer Banks with some of Ellen's nudist friends.<span style=""> </span>Thirteen hours in the car.<span style=""> </span>Each way. With Kate.<span style=""> </span>This was an experience that could have put the entire family into therapy for years, but with a few little tricks that can't be committed to permanent record we managed to get through the drive with a "It could have been worse" perspective.<span style=""> </span>The stay in the Outer Banks was rather enjoyable, but you may ask how such a thing happened after Eric swore-off traveling with his youngest child.<span style=""> </span>Trickery.<span style=""> </span>Ellen used the time-honored trick of asking Eric many months in advance.<span style=""> </span>Or, Ellen told Eric that he agreed to go on the trip many months prior.<span style=""> </span>One of the two.<span style=""> </span>Eric won't fall for that one again.<span style=""> </span>Of course, Ellen is a special kind of sneaky and will probably trick Eric into another family trip before the children are shipped off to boarding school.<span style=""> </span>We know Ellen is a special kind of sneaky because Kate must get it from somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>The kids are doing well.<span style=""> </span>Connor is, for the most part, a kind, gentle, considerate, polite, affectionate and caring person.<span style=""> </span>At 3 am, when he often comes to visit us, he's always ready with a "could you make room for one more?" or an "I'm very pleased to see you guys".<span style=""> </span>Clearly he gets all of this from his mother.<span style=""> </span>Connor, however, is consistently exhibiting one piece of behavior that indicates he may not be as bright as we once thought . . . he continues to tease his sister.<span style=""> </span>Everyone else seems to recognize this as a bad idea for reasons other than it violating the inviolate rule "Don't tease your sister".<span style=""> </span>The tables are going to turn here.<span style=""> </span>Soon.<span style=""> </span>And while Connor is a kind, gentle, considerate, polite, affectionate and caring person; Kate is not. Recently, when a commercial interrupted "The Wizard of Oz", Kate became upset because she wanted "the naughty witch to come back".<span style=""> </span>Our two year old's idol?<span style=""> </span>The Wicked Witch of the West.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>Kate turned two this year.<span style=""> </span>And, for a long time, that's all this note had to offer about Kate. Kate poses a dilemma.<span style=""> </span>On the one hand, we would like to mention our youngest child.<span style=""> </span>On the other hand, we don't want to speak ill of our youngest child.<span style=""> </span>And when we say "speak" we mean "leave any discernable evidence that Kate may later find".<span style=""> </span>Lying was an option, but only one of Eric and Ellen had no reservations about lying to the recipients of this letter (those being our friends and Ellen's family).<span style=""> </span>So let us leave it at this: more than one person has suggested an exorcism. If Kate does not follow in the footsteps of Lex Luther, Professor Moriarty or Dr. Evil we will consider it a major accomplishment.<span style=""> </span>Raising an evil genius can be a challenge for any parent.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p>Wishing you a happy holiday season and an<span style=""> </span>interesting new year,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p><br />Eric, Ellen, Connor & Kate<o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-66231248781681135462007-06-20T10:56:00.001-07:002007-06-20T10:58:32.722-07:00Holiday Letter 2004<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 2004 <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Friends-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holiday Greetings from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place>, where The Home School Experiment has begun.<span style=""> </span>The fact that Connor is not yet reading is causing some difficulties, but it makes deciding what to teach first pretty easy.<span style=""> </span>With the help of educational TV and videos Eric figures this home schooling thing will take about two hours a day of Eric's time.<span style=""> </span>Ellen is skeptical, but Eric has spent even less time than that so far. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A pleasingly uninteresting year on the home front.<span style=""> </span>No car accidents, no foster children, no new babies.<span style=""> </span>We even skipped our annual summer gathering.<span style=""> </span>We did have Ellen's sister Monica here for a long, long, long time.<span style=""> </span>The extra dishes to wash and the occasional errand Ellen does for her sister have been a boon in helping to fill Ellen's free time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ellen seems to be interested in home improvement again, so changes are happening.<span style=""> </span>A second floor bathroom awaits its fate.<span style=""> </span>The shed out back is becoming (in the loosest sense of the word "becoming", but the phrase "awaiting the arrival of a contractor who apparently has better things to do until the weather warms before becoming" seemed awkward as anything other than a parenthetical remark) a playhouse.<span style=""> </span>Eric's office is getting closer to completion.<span style=""> </span>The stained glass windows, completed in 2002 (and started before recorded history), are now installed.<span style=""> </span>For those of you keeping score at home you may note that Eric's office project began in 2001.<span style=""> </span>Our 2002 <st1:place st="on">Holiday</st1:place> greeting noted that piles of sand and gravel cluttered our parking lot and that an old stone barbecue was being . . . improved.<span style=""> </span>Still working on those.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The kids are doing well.<span style=""> </span>After an extremely needy first six months, Kate has become very independent.<span style=""> </span>Scarily independent.<span style=""> </span>We are still waiting on Connor to become independent.<span style=""> </span>Kate is out of the closet in the maid's quarters (the house has a maid's suite - the house does not have a maid), which served Connor well before her, and into her own room.<span style=""> </span>Not much to say about Kate as you really have to be near her to appreciate her.<span style=""> </span>Actually, you need to be near her when she's in a good mood to appreciate her; otherwise the best you can do is appreciate Ellen a little bit more.<span style=""> </span>There will be no family roadtrips in 2005 as Eric and Kate don't travel well together.<span style=""> </span>Since we won't be traveling and Kate is best appreciated in person, everyone who reads this should come and visit.<span style=""> </span>Anytime works for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As Kate continues to test Ellen's sense of humor, Connor continues to demonstrate his.<span style=""> </span>We have dozens of amusing Connor anecdotes, but here are two little ones.<span style=""> </span>Sometime early in 2004, before Connor turned three, Kate was crawling on the floor in the kitchen after Oliver the cat.<span style=""> </span>Eric said "Connor, don't chase Oliver" to Kate.<span style=""> </span>Connor looked-up, puzzled and Eric, realizing his mistake, said "I called Kate 'Connor'; but, don't worry, I can tell you two apart."<span style=""> </span>Connor, without missing a beat, replied: "Why did you call Kate 'Connor', Connor?<span style=""> </span>Ha, ha Daddy.<span style=""> </span>I called you 'Connor'".<span style=""> </span>Over the summer, Monica's friend Tracey came to visit for a couple of days.<span style=""> </span>She laid down on Connor's bed and made the claim, "This is my bed now".<span style=""> </span>Connor, after determining that Tracey wasn't moving soon and assessing his prospects for physically moving her, quickly turned it into a battle of wits and said: "I wouldn't touch that pillow with my head Miss Tracey.<span style=""> </span>I get chunks out of my nose and wipe them on the pillow."<span style=""> </span>As Tracey jumps out of the bed Connor hops in with a "Ha, ha.<span style=""> </span>Just kidding Miss Tracey."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting new year, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eric, Ellen, Connor & Kate<o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-17440417263955460992007-06-20T10:54:00.002-07:002007-06-20T10:55:15.773-07:00Holiday Letter 2003<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">December 2003<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Friends-</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holiday Greetings from <st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State>, home of the Mark Twain Country Club, Mark Twain Inn, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Mark</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">Twain</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> and Mark Twain grave site. It's also the home of Kate Holland Hanson. Kate, born on March 11th, is happy, healthy, bright and has the largest wardrobe ever amassed by an infant. Kate now has more clothes than Eric has had in his entire life. She also has a head of comic proportions. And we mean that in the nicest way possible. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">For this year I can simply cut and paste an entire paragraph from last year's letter: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Home ownership continues to take a toll on us. Our parking lot has a large pile of sand and a large pile of gravel - remnants of a stone walkway project started in May. The adventure was put on hold when our stone-walkway-builder took off for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:City>. Roughly 30 feet of the 160 proposed feet of walkways have been completed. Trenches criss-cross our back yard making night-time volleyball dangerous and croquet impossible. Also, the stone barbeque in the back yard is half demolished as part of what also promises to be a long-term . . . something. The proper word eludes us at the moment. We had hoped to report that Eric's office remodeling project had been completed, 2 years and 8 months after it was started, but it is still not quite there. It is close enough to completion that Eric has been relocated back up to the attic, doubling the distance of his morning commute (not to mention his distance from the kitchen). The contractors will have to work around him the rest of the way. Next on Eric's list is converting the entire basement into a rec room. A bar, pool table, race track, foosball, pinball, home theatre - the works. Ellen's list may vary slightly.<sup> </sup>For those of you scoring at home you may have noticed that these two sentences also appeared in last year's <st1:place st="on">Holiday</st1:place> note. Eric’s list is not the one we are working off of.</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Aside from Kate we didn't actually accomplish much on the home front this year. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finally, for those of you trying to keep up with Connor's exploits it's best to visit the <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">website</a> (<a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">www.logicaloperator.com/hanson/</a> - the <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/</a> site should be back up eventually) frequently. As an added attraction, Eric is working on a page for the website listing all of the great reasons to come to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>'s Southern Tier and, perhaps, stop by our place. In his second year Connor has now learned his colors (at least the ten he needs if he does not pursue a career as an interior designer), added a couple of trips to Philadelphia and one to Nantucket to his growing list of adventures, figured out the counting thing up to six ("None, two, tree, four, five, six, many." Seven seems a ways off now, but I'm sure it will be here before we know it), memorized a few books, awarded Ellen three separate nicknames and been photographed an additional 1017 times by Ellen. He still doesn't have a girlfriend, has demonstrated some odd compulsive behavior and has shown no desire to get a job and move out of the house. We may be stuck with him forever. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eric, Ellen, Connor & Kate<o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-44909090329904545202007-06-20T10:54:00.001-07:002007-06-20T10:54:48.865-07:00Holiday Letter 2002<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">December 2002<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Friends-</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holiday Greetings from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place>, home of the country’s oldest natural pine wreath (please see last year’s <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/holidays2001.htm">note</a>). We have grown a year wiser here, assuming, of course, that wisdom can be measured in years. Most of Eric's new found wisdom comes in the parenting department. Things that Ellen seemed to be aware of going in have come a little slower to Eric. This will surprise very few of you. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Little nuggets of wisdom recently acquired include: </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A toddler should not be given a bat in the kitchen. Or a broom. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A little boy --this may apply to little girls as well-- with a bowl of oatmeal should never be left unattended - not even in a highchair. The highchair, in fact, only increases his range. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Children will cry. Try and enjoy the sound. Temper tantrums can be amusing if you just get in the right frame of mind. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All over-the-counter sedatives say "Do not to give to children under age 2". Eric still thinks it was worth checking. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nothing teaches "safety-first" like a good fall. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Socks can be kept on with duct tape. Who would have thought? </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Home ownership continues to take a toll on us. Our parking lot has a large pile of sand and a large pile of gravel - remnants of a stone walkway project started in May. The adventure was put on hold when our stone-walkway-builder took off for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:City>. Roughly 30 feet of the 160 proposed feet of walkways have been completed. Trenches criss-cross our back yard making night-time volleyball dangerous and croquet impossible. Also, the stone barbeque in the back yard is half demolished as part of what also promises to be a long-term . . . something. The proper word eludes us at the moment. We had hoped to report that Eric's office remodeling project had been completed, 2 years and 8 months after it was started, but it is still not quite there. It is close enough to completion that Eric has been relocated back up to the attic, doubling the distance of his morning commute (not to mention his distance from the kitchen). The contractors will have to work around him the rest of the way. Next on Eric's list is converting the entire basement into a rec room. A bar, pool table, race track, foosball, pinball, home theatre - the works. Ellen's list may vary slightly.<sup> </sup>For those of you scoring at home you may have noticed that these two sentences also appeared in last year's <st1:place st="on">Holiday</st1:place> note. Eric’s list is not the one we are working off of. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Before we forget - Ellen is six months pregnant with what appears to be a girl (at least to those people familiar with looking at sonograms of what vaguely resembles a small person curled into a ball) and we are having a bit of trouble agreeing on a name so we would appreciate everyone weighing in on these choices: </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sophia <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Holland</st1:place></st1:City> Hanson, "Sophie" </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Molly Kate Hanson, "Molly" or "Kate" </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Katherine Claire Hanson, "Kate" </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Claire <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Holland</st1:place></st1:City> Hanson, "Claire" </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Alix Shea Hanson, "Ali" or "Alix" </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Madeline Claire Hanson, “Maddie” (After our neighbor’s dog.) </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Molly Catherine Hanson, “Molly” or “Cate” </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finally, for those of you trying to keep up with Connor's exploits it's best to visit the <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">website</a> (<a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/</a>) frequently. As an added attraction, Eric is working on a page for the website listing all of the great reasons to come to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>'s Southern Tier and, perhaps, stop by our place. In his second year Connor has now learned his colors (at least the ten he needs if he does not pursue a career as an interior designer), added a couple of trips to Philadelphia and one to Nantucket to his growing list of adventures, figured out the counting thing up to six ("None, two, tree, four, five, six, many." Seven seems a ways off now, but I'm sure it will be here before we know it), memorized a few books, awarded Ellen three separate nicknames and been photographed an additional 1017 times by Ellen. He still doesn't have a girlfriend, has demonstrated some odd compulsive behavior and has shown no desire to get a job and move out of the house. We may be stuck with him forever. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eric, Ellen & Connor <o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-84012804458871839822007-06-20T10:53:00.000-07:002007-06-20T10:54:14.143-07:00Holiday Letter 2001<p>December 2001</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Friends- <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Season’s Greetings from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place> where the times remain interesting. We are a larger family this year by about 25 pounds, all of that attributable to the newly arrived (March 19, 2001) John Connor Hanson. Of course, we have been a larger family each of the last four years as well, but previously Eric had been solely responsible for the gain. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The holiday wreath on our door has entered its third year of service which is very impressive for a natural wreath (please read <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/holidays.htm">last year's holiday note</a> to see how this is possible). It is joined on the house this year by another perfectly good, and very large, pine wreath that some unresourceful person left on the curb after last year's holiday season. Eric still remembers how excited Ellen and her mom were when they returned home after that find. <st1:place st="on">Holiday</st1:place> decorating at the Hanson house doesn't stop with a couple of well-preserved wreaths. All year the entrance to our library is guarded by a two-foot Santa and adorned with little, white lights. Santa can also be found in the dining room, foyer and on the living room mantle. Wreaths and pine boughs abound. A ‘<st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Christmas</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Village</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>’ has materialized on the pool table. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Home ownership has become a bit less stressful this year as we have lowered our expectations and extended our timeline on many projects. Eric's 10 day office remodeling project that was entering its sixth month when we wrote last winter is now entering month eighteen, but Ellen has completed a few of the projects she has instigated. The dining room, with help from Mama Roe, no longer sports the 'Christmas wrap' wallpaper that was such a conversation starter, one of the upstairs bathrooms that we never use has been redone with help from Papa Roe Remodeling and the stone piles in the backyard have been restacked into walls with help from the Johnny P Construction Company. Unfortunately, the availability of these reliable contractors is spotty; while the reliability of the available contractors seems to be a bit more questionable. A case in point, one fine day early this summer a man stops at the house and asks if we need any trees taken down. "Isn't this fortuitous", we think, because, coincidently we need four very, very dead trees taken down. So, Eric explains to the man that we need these trees taken down as he walks around the yard pointing out each of the four. After the second crash Eric goes out to check the progress and sees a medium size pine tree down. To paraphrase the exchange that takes place as the tree guy explains how he cut down the live pine tree twenty feet away from the dead cherry tree: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tree guy: "The bark looks the same, but you'd think I would have figured it out when I was up there cutting down all those branches with pine needles." </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Eric: "Actually, I was hoping you would have figured it out before then." </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Next on Eric's list is converting the entire basement into a rec room. A bar, pool table, race track, foosball, pinball, home theatre - the works. Ellen's list may vary slightly. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> For those of you trying to keep up with Connor's exploits it's best to visit the <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">website</a> frequently. In his first nine months Connor has now outgrown three age groups worth of clothing, taken his first steps, raised his vocabulary to three words, gotten his first two teeth, invented several new games involving food, appeared on TV, visited Atlanta, Boston and New York City, seen a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, gone hiking in Vermont twice, hit the rides at Six Flags-Darien Lake and been photographed 1319 times by Ellen. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Eric, Ellen & Connor<o:p></o:p></span></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016606240453103071.post-74216211584371058632007-06-20T10:52:00.000-07:002007-06-20T10:53:09.167-07:00Holiday Letter 2000<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">December 2000<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Friends-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Season’s Greetings from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Elmira</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State></st1:place> where we are pioneering the recycling of holiday wreaths. Ellen cleverly saved the pine wreath which hung upon our front door last holiday season. This year that same wreath, covered in <i>Better-than-Natural Green</i> spray paint, adorns our house yet again. It’s been another interesting year in the Hanson household.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Among the things we’ve learned in the past year is that home ownership isn’t for everyone. It is also full of surprises. We had a surprise this March when the snow melted we found that the <s>lazy bastards who sold us the house</s> previous owners had left us some raking to do. Enough raking to fill one-hundred-twenty large garbage bags. For those of you not familiar with the City of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Elmira</st1:place></st1:City>’s rules for trash removal, that is roughly one-hundred-fourteen more bags than they will remove per week. Our garage became a compost heap.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Once the bags of leaves were safely stored in the garage we were able to address other issues including: the relative sparsity of grass in the yard (still an issue), Eric’s insistence that a basketball hoop be installed (one was - though maybe not quite the one Eric had in mind), Ellen’s insistence that Eric get a large life-insurance policy (he did), Eric’s insistence that last year’s Christmas tree be taken down (it was - in late February), Eric’s one week remodeling project of his third floor office (in it’s sixth month now), the remodeling of a second floor bedroom (done - this was our last joint project), Ellen’s refinishing of the library floor (done - this was a bigger task than it sounds), Ellen’s remodeling of another second floor bedroom (almost done), Ellen’s insistence that she be pregnant (she is), Eric’s insistence that he acquire a new sports car to get him through his mid-life crisis (one was - though definitely not the one Eric had in mind [it had no room for a car seat]), Ellen’s remodeling of a second floor bathroom (almost done), Eric’s rewiring of his temporary second floor office while construction continues on his third floor office (done), repairs to the slate roof (started - warning: these things can be expensive), raking of the yard this fall (done - with the help of a leaf-sweeper contraption), and preparation of the nursery for the arrival of John Connor Hanson (moving slow - the local artist hired to do the murals [Eric’s father] - has been rather self-paced). The two major issues remaining seem to be training Eric to make the bed in the morning and training Eric to put garbage in the garbage can.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">On January 1, Eric and Ellen will be hosting the New Year’s Day Bowl Game Party. This kicks-off at 11:00 am with the Cotton and Outback Bowls. The Gator, Citrus, Rose and Fiesta Bowls follow. Consider this an invitation. For information, directions, a schedule of upcoming events or just to talk to Ellen please call (607) 732-3697, <a href="mailto:jhanson1@stny.rr.com">email</a> or visit our <a href="http://www.newyorklogic.com/hanson/">website</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wishing you a happy holiday season and an interesting year,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><u><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Eric & Ellen<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13904325958949380136noreply@blogger.com0