Hello again.

Greetings 2012. Where did you come from? It's been a busy few weeks. Here's a little of what's been keeping us busy.

Art Projects:

handprint snowman.  The girls are mid-way through a super cute butterfly project.

Massaging Kale:

I've been trying to duplicate a fabulous kale salad I ate last year. While the flavors were right, I couldn't get the texture correct. To me, raw kale has a decidedly cardboard texture & it's hard to eat much of it. Then, I discovered this recipe and accompanying video. DELICIOUS!

Progressive Dinner Parties:

We hosted a progressive dinner/game night in early December with two other families (appetizers, main course, dessert each at a different home). It was a very fun night. 

Our neighborhood had a community New Year's Eve progressive party between 7:30-midnight. Each hour, we went to a new house. The kids were in heaven, the parents didn't need babysitters and no one had to be out on the road. Such a nice way to spend time with our neighbors. First time we all made it to midnight!

Toasting in the New Year:

Nick is very hard to buy for. Last year, we tried to be creative. The kids & I came up with THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE special memories with Nick. We printed them out on a little strips of paper & put them in a huge jar. We thought starting each day with a family memory would put a smile on his face. He opened 10 last year.  

So, this year we got creative. Nick & Uncle K both got bottles of the cabbage patch kid of bourbon - 15 and 20 year old bottles of Pappy Van Winkle. I guarantee he won't have any bourbon leftover by this time next year (and no, it's not how he starts each day).

Training:

Nick is committed to a half marathon in April. The twins were able to join Ella at the running club at school & I've been obsessed with a barre studio that my sister & I tried while she was in town over the holidays. We will try to resist the urge to include bathing suit photos in our 2012 Christmas card.

Reading:

Ella surpassed her goal of reading 1000 minutes over Winter Break. We've got an ice cream celebration planned for this weekend. I finished several interesting books lately:

The Marriage Plot - liked it a lot more than Middlesex (though apparently Amazon reviewers disagree).

Back Spin - Mom's favorite author for vacations

The Little House - Gregory is a well established historical fiction writer. This was very different & intriguing. (book club selection)

Hypnotist - touted as being in the same vein as the Dragon Tattoo series, I found this book a little creepy.

Dovekeepers - in the middle of this right now, but I look forward to my nightly reading time with Ella so that I progress a little more.

Litigators - typical Grisham, but this one hit a little too close to home. I think I developed an ulcer reading it.

Resolving:

The kids created their super-cute 2012 resolutions. Ella wrote that she wants to get better at taking testes spelling. Greta wants to get better at coloring.  Charlie wants to hit a home run in T-ball (game rules may make this a little tricky). Nick & I have a little catching up to do with the kids.

Documenting:

It's the annual January rush where I print photo books like mad. My 2011 album of daily photos is done & ordered. Spring Break 2011 ordered. December {2010} Christmas album done. Nick's Europe trip {from 2010} was under the tree. Several more to go . . . 

Digitally organizing:

 Nick transferred two old hard drives to a portable drive we can actually access. I'm culling photos & digital files onto one drive. It's time consuming but rewarding to see all these lost files again.

Dreaming:

We've been rearranging furniture & thinking of ways to create a little work space for me. I'm excited for my new idea & just need Nick to get home from his work trip so we can see if it will work out. When the dust settles, we will post an update.