2012

Good bye 2011, hello 2012. Welcome to a whole new year! Sounds exciting, right? I hope everyone is ready for a good year.

I’m not one for resolutions but this week I started reading a great book called Simple Parenting and I’ve decided that January will be our month for simplifying. What better way to spend a dark, dreary month, than by cleaning up and cleaning out and preparing for a fresh start! I haven’t mentioned it to Alan yet and the kids are less than excited, but I think everyone will get on board and everyone will feel more at ease and calmer when we are done. Or well underway, as I know the process of simplifying will be an unending project.

I enter this year with mixed emotions. I think it will be a year of changes for us, the four of us here and the extended family as well, but I’ll let them tell that story. Lex and Eve will turn seven and five, both growing up so fast. This new stage of awareness and independence is fun, but I miss the babies terribly. Eve starts Kindergarten this year (not to rush things, I know it’s still eight months away!) and that will begin a new phase of my life. Most likely one involving full-time employment, something I’ve been thinking about (or obsessing about, depending on who you ask) for years. We will also clear our bankruptcy this year, bringing with it a new sense of financial peace and independence.

We start the new year in good health (excluding these nagging coughs that Lex and I can’t seem to kick) and happiness, blessed with stable employment, fully cabinets, and a sturdy roof over our heads. Life is good. Happy New Year!

New Years Eve at the bowling alley

I asked the kids a few days ago about what we should do for New Years Eve. Lex reminded me that last year we went cosmic bowling and he suggested maybe we should do that every year. I guess we now have a NYE “thing.” :)

My camera is having issues, ugh!, but here are a few pictures from our rockin’ evening!

eve shrug

Eve's opinion of her bowling skills.

lex won

Lex took the first game. I thought this picture was better than it is!

eve won

Eve won the second game.

eve

Now for the real reason they want to go to the bowling alley.

lex

I think he's a little too big for this ride!

Now Alan and I are going to settle in with some fizzy drinks and a silly movie. Maybe we’ll see the ball drop, maybe not. Happy NYE!

Teeth

One thing I wanted to do on this blog but never did was make a list of milestones and dates down the side. Something quick and easy to scan. So far hasn’t happened and probably never will. Sigh. Anyway, I do want to keep track of the teeth, in case it ever matters. On Tuesday Lex lost another tooth. That’s five total now. This one was his bottom tooth, just to the right of the two front ones he lost first. He was eating a bakery bagel. Part way through the bagel he quietly tapped me on the arm and handed me a tooth. It was loose, but nowhere near as loose as the top front ones that hung on for so long. They make cute tooth fairy pillows… I was going to post a picture from Pinterest but the Internet is being annoyingly slow tonight that will have to wait for another day.

Mad Libs

For some silliness at snack time we got out a Mad Libs book this afternoon that the kids got for Christmas. They have gotten these books once or twice in the past and never shown much interest, but today it clicked! We went through a bunch of them. Most of the time I did the writing and the kids came up with words, but for a few of them Lex did the writing while Eve and I came up with words. It was fun! I think it would be a great car game. I’ll have to remember for future car trips :)

lex

Mad Libs Lex

me-n-eve

Eve got pretty excited thinking up crazy words!

At one point, when asked for an adjective, Eve said, “Love.” I said that’s not an adjective and she said, “‘Love’ means ‘I love you.’ I’m describing you with love.” So sweet!

writing lex

Lex diligently writing the crazy words we thought up.

Christmas 2011

I know you all thought I forgot about this blog. I’m sorry! I’m suffering from a severe case of post-holiday hangover! We have slowly, slowly been putting the house back together, unburying the living room, finding gifts tucked here and there. I had a massive pile by the curb for the recycling truck yesterday. Today I busted out the vacuum cleaner (twice!) and swept the floors. I feel like I can breath again. The family is gone, the chocolate is gone (sent to work with Alan!) and we are starting to find places for things. Alan is back at work and the kids and I are home, trying to clean and not be too crabby with each other as we all suffer through sugar detox together. Good times! :)

I know what you’re all waiting for is the photos, so without further ado…

If this fancy slideshow thing doesn’t work for you, click on the photo below and you’ll be taken to the Picasa album.

1112 – Christmas 2011