Santa

Malcolm loves Santa and is right at home on his lap.  Donovan still likes Santa but is questioning if he is real.  Kieran is too terrified of Santa to get within six feet of him!

Rainey Family Christmas Letter - 2014

We had another eventful year here in Nova Scotia!  We have gone from having two rambunctious boys and a baby to having three busy boys to keep track of.  Kieran has been walking since he was 11 months old (in July) and has not looked back.

We had a hot, sunny summer here in Nova Scotia and Mary Ellen greatly enjoyed being home with her three boys.  Donovan played lots of soccer, some tennis and took swimming lessons at the beach.  Malcolm also enjoyed swimming lessons at the beach and had the opportunity to play in a soccer league (but didn’t seem to enjoy that as much as Donovan!)

But, all good things come to an end! In the fall, the older boys went back to school: Donovan in grade 3 and Malcolm in grade Primary (kindergarten) for another year.  Both are thriving.  Donovan is a math whiz, reading up a storm and also enjoys both piano and sewing lessons.  Malcolm participates enthusiastically in all of his classroom’s activities and his second year of Primary has been hugely positive.  He is also working with a new speech therapist and is very motivated to improve his speech.

As for Mary Ellen and Kieran, Mary Ellen headed back to work in September (part-time), which meant Kieran started daycare.  He is attending the same daycare that his big brothers went to.  After a difficult transition, he has overcome his initial misgivings and is now happy to wave bye-bye in the morning.  He even has one particular baby buddy – they like to play together.

Jan continues to grow his research program at work (with 15 or so people now in his lab) while being a very hands-on Dad at home.  He made several short trips this year and is excited to start some new collaborations.   He had several academic papers published and has revamped one of his classes using online resources to make it more accessible to students.

In May, the whole family traveled to Fredericton, New Brunswick for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society conference.  We stopped at an indoor amusement park on the way. The hotel had a fantastic pool and we enjoyed a small suite, so our first trip as a family of five was a huge success.

In early June we went to Ontario for a few weeks.  We had a great time seeing friends and family and relaxing on the farm.  We were especially glad to wave to Grandpa Lee in his last Canada Day parade as a municipal politician!

We are all healthy and happy, though Malcolm has just been diagnosed with Celiac disease so we are transitioning to be a gluten free family.   Mary Ellen is looking forward to exploring new recipes. 

We hope that all of our family and friends experienced as much joy as we did this past year.   Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Jan, Mary Ellen, Donovan, Malcolm and Kieran