Tidbits: January edition

**So, I don't want to speak too soon or jinx anything or eat my words later...but is it possible? ...is there any way...that maybe, just maybe... *whispers* we might just have a mild winter on our hands? I mean, I KNOW that it's probably still coming. I remember March of '08 when we got several feet of snow (I remember because I was great with child and nervous about driving to the hospital in labor in said snow). But I have seen the 10 day forecast that stretches into mid-Januray and it's still looking...fairly mild? We've walked to school a few days in the past week, played outside all weekend, contemplated going to the zoo just for kicks. In JANUARY?!? I could get used to this. So, okay, Old Man Winter, if the way you roll is to wait for someone to post on their blog that they think it might be a mild winter and then BRING IT, I guess it will be all my fault.

**Gradually we are starting back into our routine - church stuff all started last week, Girl Scouts tonight, and tomorrow Katy starts a piano class. She has been very interested in piano since Oma brought us a keyboard and some primer books and taught her to play a few things. There is a perfect little class sold through the rec center that is a group lesson for 4-6 year olds, happening right when David is at school (almost too perfect to work - I'm having to carpool so I can drop David off at the exact same time piano starts). We know 2 of the other 4 kids already, and Katy is super excited about it.

**Last night I heard a thud upstairs after the kids were in bed, but no crying afterward, so I figured someone got up to get a drink. When I went to check later, I found David like this. I'm guessing he fell out of bed but was too tired to climb all the way back in?

**David's nap has been hit or miss, and we skipped it for 2 weeks straight around Christmas. So for now we've settled into this routine: on weekends and any day that Katy doesn't have school - he stays up from nap. On the days that Katy has school, he goes to his room and tries to lay down, but if he doesn't fall asleep, he comes down at 2:00. It's a good compromise for now, because he and Katy have several activities that are easier to do when Luke is sleeping (play-doh, legos, bingo, etc), so they get the chance to do these on off days. But then on school days, we try to rest, and he doesn't argue because he knows there are days he gets to stay up. He still falls asleep on most of the rest days, but only for an hour or so. Which is just enough time for me to catch my breath and make needed phone calls and feel like I have the energy to finish the day.

**Katy just hung on my arm for a minute and started to read the paragraph above. She got every word in the first sentence except for "skipped," "straight," & "Christmas." It's really fun to watch her as an emerging reader, but it starts to make you think...about what all she can read?!?

**Luke is so funny right now, although it's the kind of funny that is difficult to describe in a way that retains the humor. He imitates everything we do (like picking up the cereal bowl from the table to get the last little bit), nods "yes" with emphasis, and attempts to put on his shoes and coat when anyone opens the door. He loves to play trains, and constantly brings me a piece of wooden train track and shoves it at me, like, "Build me a track!!" We made spinach and artichoke dip and he ate a whole bowl of it with a SPOON and asked for more until we ran out. ?!? He's just a cuke, oddly hilarious with his own little quirks.

I hope your January is chugging along nicely. Let's hope it stays that way.