It's going to be a strange Christmas.

We're still in the middle of the long process of moving in and setting up our new home in Georgia, so we aren't doing any decorating for Christmas. Nicole doesn't have any vacation time, so we aren't going anywhere. It'll be a lot different from last Christmas, which we spent in Virginia with both Pauline and Virgile while they were preparing for their two-year tours in Indonesia and Greece.

One thing that was very special about last year was that it was little Maddie's first real Christmas. We have lots of wonderful pictures of her with her presents, and I have terrific memories of reading to her. This year she's 2, but she is thousands of miles away.

[caption id="attachment_690" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Maddie is 2."]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/74016_461155262121_838372121_5314124_2706975_n.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-690" title="74016_461155262121_838372121_5314124_2706975_n" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/74016_461155262121_838372121_5314124_2706975_n-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

Watching her grow has been one of the most fascinating experiences of my life. Since I didn't enter Pauline and Virgile's lives until they were older, I missed out on all the amazing stuff that happens as kids from from infants into young children.

The strangest thing to me is that Maddie is so intelligent and alert and aware of her surroundings, but at 2, she is still at a stage in her life when she won't really remember any of this when she's older.

Of course, the longer you live and the more memories you have, the more you forget. I've come to realize I don't remember anything at all about my fifth grade year -- and I was 10 that year.

I certainly intend to remember a lot more about Maddie's fifth grade year.

It'll probably be more interesting than mine was anyway.