Christmas Cards

Addressed and ready to go...they sit on my dining room table. Surely this is not where they are supposed to be. At some point they need to make their way to the mailbox. The dilemma is this: last year Ruby wrote a cute and rather witty letter which generated a lot of phone calls and comments. There is no way I can top that and now that Ruby can talk she's just not as proliferate in her writing. And so the cards will sit for a few more days whilst I think about it.

In the meantime, here is last year's letter. Enjoy!

Dear grown-ups and almost grown-ups,

My name is Ruby (I just figured that out a little while ago, now I think its funny and when someone says my name I turn my head to him and smile). There are a lot of songs with my name in them, which keeps my family singing. I am five months old (at least that is what my mom says when people ask). I have the best hair; it's the same color as my big sisters' except I keep it in a special style that my daddy refers to as a faux hawk. I have these really great things called hands (or "mains" depending on which circle I happen to be hanging out in). I can control them with my mind, very useful for picking up things that interest me and immediately putting them in my mouth. Before I knew what my hands were for the only things I controlled with my mind were the people around me. It was surprisingly easy to get them to pick me up or smile at me. I live in "our little house" (that's what my mom and dad call it); I was even born here. Back then (when I was born) it was much warmer. The best thing about our little house is the people who live here.

Daddy is among my favorites, except when I'm hungry. He makes me laugh. Everyday he leaves our house with Aidan and goes to The Appliance Gallery. That's where he keeps his toys. There is a vacuum that is the right size for Zoë and Avery and an oven where they pretend to bake cookies. But Daddy's favorite toy is called the Turbo Chef…it can cook a twelve pound turkey in 42 minutes. Wow, turkey. Not really sure what that is but it sounds important and Mom says I can have some when I start on my seconds: like second Thanksgiving, second Christmas, and second Easter.

Speaking of food…that reminds me of mom. It was dark and warm inside of her but not nearly as interesting as the outside of her. I get all my food from her. I know its good for me but I'm starting to get bored and Mom says I can have other food soon enough. Mom tells people she is a Respiratory Therapist…I think that means person who organizes other people's lives, cooks, cleans, kisses booboos, makes crafts, bakes cookies, laundry, laundry, laundry. Except I'm not sure what she means when she says at the Misericordia Hospital. Maybe Respiratory Therapy is a hobby like card making and scrapbooking. Sometimes she even goes to the gym…she says its to shower in peace but she gets to shower with all of our help at home, so I'm not sure why she would need peace. Right now she is decking the halls….

Which brings me to Aidan who can play "Deck the Halls" on the piano and even remembers when to move his finger three. Aidan leaves with Daddy in the morning and then I don't see him again until after lunch at the big green building he calls school. We wave at him and even sometimes sneak a cuddle before he goes inside. He reads me stories or les histoires depending on his mood. I laugh so much for him because he is definitely the funniest. Just yesterday he was telling mom a funny story about he how he might never get married because then he would have a baby, and babies are a LOT of work. He is also the best ever Lego builder. Right now he is playing construction outside in the snow with…

Zoë, who is five years old. I know because she talks about it a lot. When you are five years old you get to go to Kindergarten. And when you are five years old you learn to tell time and when you are five years old you might get a wiggly tooth. And learn to play piano. And learn to read. And make beautiful paintings. Zoë even gets to help Mommy with all sorts of things like cooking and baking and wrapping Christmas presents. Being five sounds great. Maybe even the best. Not too big or too small. The closest person in size to me is….

Avery. She is a princess. At least that's what she tells everyone. And if being a princess means that one gets to do the least amount of work and order everyone around then she definitely is one. I think she's for sale (at least that's what my mom keeps saying). I'm a little afraid of her. She moves around a bit too fast for my liking. Everywhere we go people say to my mom that she is so cute. Mom reminds them she is for sale but no one seems to want to buy her. A couple of weeks ago, Avery decided that she needed new parents. She was a little surprised though when Mom helped her find her coat so that she could go out to look for new parents. Avery is FINALLY old enough to go to school too. She loves having her own friends and talks about her boyfriends and girlfriends ceaselessly. She is also learning to speak a little French, cute. She learned a new word: delicate, while we put up the Christmas tree (which is very sparkly and bright and demands a lot of my attention). She uses it a lot. I am surprised by how many things are "delicate".

Soon I am getting new cousins. Auntie Sarah and Uncle James are expecting their baby in May and Auntie Shannon and Uncle Brett are expecting another little one in June. That one will live too far away from me. In Halifax. I went there with my mom before the Christmas tree. It took a very long time on an airplane. I wish they lived closer, how am I going to get a chance to initiate (torture) a person smaller than me now?

After the Christmas tree comes down Mommy and Daddy say we're going on more airplanes to the beach. I'm not sure what that is either but it's in a place called Belize and it's going to be warm like when I was born. I'll get to see Carlos and Isabelle. And Venus, their dog too! I haven't seen them since I was very small.

For Christmas, I wish for all of you to have the good things I have: our little house, milk when you're hungry, people to amuse you, and cuddles whenever you need them. You can watch me grow on my Facebook group. Or you could just come and visit me. Open arms and open hearts.

Love and Merry Christmas,

Ruby