1997

                                                                                               November 29, 1997
Dear Family & Friends,

Last year I let the kids “write” the letter, but they complained so much that I had “misquoted” them that I have decided to abandon that concept. Actually they didn’t complain about the comments they made about each other – they just didn’t want their remarks about their Mom shopping too much to be publicized just weeks before their birthdays and Christmas.

Someone commented last year that they like the news about the kids, but that I never wrote much about Suzanne or myself. Actually I write several paragraphs about Suzanne each year, but she never lets me print them.

Suzanne is an attorney for Amoco Corporation. This company is bigger than most countries so you would think they could afford to hire more than one attorney, but apparently not. Suzanne did not have to go to China or Singapore or Hong Kong this year, but that is only because she had to spend eleven months in Buenos Aires and New York (okay it was only six weeks but they were really long weeks.)


It continues to be a source of wonder to me as to how a woman who is so clearly challenged in organizing her personal effects can do such a great job of shepherding these international too-many-lawyer transactions to the finish line AND produce daily hour-by-hour schedules of kid activities for Antoinette (our housekeeper) and me to follow.


I promised her that I would not write any more about her QVC shopping habit so I won’t. Stephen and I did clean the basement last month and threw out (oops…recycled) 127 QVC boxes, but some of them were really small.


My sister Carol has always said that growing up as the middle child is a tremendous burden (she denies me a share of middle-child martyrdom claiming that as the pampered only son I am not entitled.) So, in deference to my younger older sister I’ll start the kid review with Nicole, who is clearly and unambiguously the middle child.


Nicole is in the 4th grade and will soon be 10 going on 17. She has started invaded my office in the afternoons so that she can listen to Celine Dion CD. Now she wants me to take her to the music store so that she can buy a Spice Girl CD – which is obviously a very clever ploy to ensure that she gets her own CD player.


Nicole loves to draw and write stories. A common theme of her stories is the burden of being the bossy middle child sandwiched between a “perfect” older brother and a “lovable” little sister. Nicole is a natural athlete. She excels at soccer where she seems to move up and down the field effortlessly. She loves to score and win.


Nicole loves animals and she still desperately wants a puppy. She has promised to take care of its every need for all time. My opposition is weakening, although when I look outside on those sub-zero winter mornings none of the frozen dogwalkers look like young teenage girls. We’ll see.


Stephen is in 7th grade and about to become our first official teenager. I try to find something about each kid that I can poke fun at, but Stephen’s braces cost too much to joke about. We have really relied on Stephen this year as there were periods of time when both Suzanne and I were out of town. I taught him how to prepare the dinner meals and so now even when I am home and Suzanne is working late he gets dinner ready. He probably has the highest allowance in the 7th grade but he has earned it.


Stephen played soccer for Chute Junior High this fall (goalie and sweeper.) Last spring he won the 100 hundred yard dash at the 6th grade track meet and in the summer he was on the traveling team for the Skokie Little League. During the winter he plays chess. He is now 5’ 6” and 130 pounds, but he is still no match for his sisters.


Stephen does really well in school and his teachers have been encouraging him to challenge himself. He is a good kid – obviously the product of great parenting.


Christie is in 2nd grade. She is going to have her 8th birthday party at LASERZONE – a darkened arena where kids shoot each other with laser light guns. She is a video game devotee and a numbers wizard. She had a perfect record in school the first quarter – well actually she had perfect attendance – but as I keep telling her – showing up is half the battle.


She was a little behind her class in reading so I was helping her this summer. She told her Mom that I was doing much better than before as I only yell a little bit and hardly ever throw the book across the room anymore. Fortunately for both of us she is in a special reading program this fall. I attended a session last month and the teacher seemed quite successful without using any of my techniques.

Christie is a sweet child who can more than hold her own in the brother and sister battles. She is particularly adept at what I call the “Dennis Rodman flop” – that is where you do something to one sibling and when they retaliate you start wailing and the referee/parent calls the foul on the other kid.

She and Nicole have been campaigning daily for hamsters for Christmas. Actually they want “four teddy bear hamsters – two girls and two boys.” I have said, “two hamsters – same sex – maybe – if you are really good. We’ll see – I have noticed any parents out walking hamsters in the morning so their chances are pretty good.

My major accomplishment in 1997 was that I organized a trip this summer for the three kids to visit their Aunt Chris (the sister that made Carol the middle child) and Uncle Al and their cousins Lily and Jake in Montana. They had a great time and I really think this should be an annual event. I am sure my sister agrees.

Our faithful and reliable Antoinette has been with us for over twelve years, and with the exception of her trips back to Jamaica I don’t think she has ever missed a day. She has been a blessing for which we will always be grateful.

We hope you all have a safe and joyful Holiday season.

Len, Suzanne, Stephen, Nicole & Christie



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