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
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