Letters to Santa 2009

As they did in 2006, 2007, and 2008 the kids have once again composed letters to that jolly old, red-suited, beard-faced man.

Dear Santa-

I have been very good this year. I hope you've had a good year and here is what I want. I want D-Rex, an Air Hog Switch Blade, a Raider CS-35 dart gun, a Nerf N-Force long sword, a DSi, a Republic Heroes DSi game and a Battlefront Elite Squadron DSi game.

I have helped my friends with their work when they were stuck and cheered them up. I have gotten good grades in school and good report cards. I'm sure I've done a lot of other good things this year, but that is all I can remember.

Thank you.

Alex Roth

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Dear Santa-

Can I please have a puppy dog (I mean a stuffed animal puppy dog), Barbie dolls, more Littlest Pet Shop guys and then a DS, and some Legos, a D-Rex and a Nerf sword to fight my brother (when he tries to fight me, but he doesn't know that). Can I also have ice skates so I can ice skate. And one more thing - a doggie DS game.

I was very very good because I didn't hurt my brother too much this year. I helped my mommy do Christmas cards and I helped my dad pop bubble-wrap.

Love, Ella

2009 Christmas Letter

For those of you who missed reading our Christmas letter for the last few years, you will be happy to know that it is back. For those of you who figured we were done with Christmas letters, we're sorry to disappoint you.

Summing up a year in a few paragraphs is always an interesting challenge. Who is to say what should be included and what should be left out? Well, I am, since I am the one writing this. So there you go.

Since you are probably most interested to hear what the kids have been up to, I'll start by talking about myself. There is not much to say. I continue to work at a Web 2.0 startup, which is challenging and exciting. You can see what it is all about by looking at my profile on the site. Beyond work, I've been making an effort to become an awesome guitarist. I tell you this not because I am anywhere close to being successful at this goal, but because it makes it seem like I'm not spending all my time working.

But enough about me - what about those kids? Let me first tell you about Shelley. She continues to do statistical stuff that I don't understand. Beyond that she runs (another half marathon in May), teaches piano, sings with the NIH Chamber Singers, takes awesome pictures, write poems that sometimes rhyme, and has also discovered that she can draw.

Now for the kids. Ella started Kindergarten in August and turned 6 in October. She loves school and is not yet feeling any pressure about getting into a good college. She has a flair for fashion and can put together outfits that normal people could not even imagine.

Meanwhile, second grader Alex likes to read and play video games, but not usually at the same time. He has started taking piano lessons from the best piano teacher in the house, and is also working on his beat box skills. Basketball has just started, but I won't say anything about it so as not to jinx it.

We hope you have wonderful holidays and a brilliant 2010. We'll leave you with some random pictures from 2009.