We are nearing the end of another year, and I won’t have to go into work for the rest of the decade. It seems only moments ago that everyone I know was sitting at work waiting for the new century and with it the flood of Y2K problems that never came. Was that really ten years ago? I can come up with another scary number describing how long it’s been since high school, which also represents the end of an era. We were the last group to ever graduate from South High.

There have been a number of doors opening even as these doors close. My eldest child has gotten her first job, an externship for the Pharmacy Tech college course she is taking through her high school. She graduates next spring. The next younger child is making good use of her learner’s permit, and will probably be ready for the real thing in a few months when that birthday comes around. I hope my wallet can keep up. Her twin sister recently extracted DNA from split peas in her Biology class. The older boy played his trumpet in a Christmas concert and did very well. The youngest is, little by little, starting to get involved in managing his diabetes. All of the kids are very intelligent and learning well.

This time of year is rich with milestones for us. Earlier in the month, one of the boys had his 14th birthday. Tonight, we visit family for Christmas Eve dinner. Tomorrow, the kids open their presents and we have a few friends and family over for Christmas dinner. My nine year wedding anniversary and 40th birthday are also coming in the next couple of weeks.

I love and appreciate my family. I don’t tell them this often enough, and what I do tell them probably gets lost in my grumpy outer shell. I’ve got five kids that are really a pretty good bunch. I can’t say enough about Kathy, who keeps the house functioning despite a continuous battle with her own body. Thank you, everyone.