Lifelines

Like everyone else, we’re counting down the last hour here.
We’ve been eating and laughing and game playing.
Reflecting, too, maybe?

New Years Eve isn’t my favorite.
Actually, it’s my LEAST favorite holiday in the year.
I suppose I just hate saying goodbye, watching another year pass.
And maybe on some level, it makes me acknowledge where I’m at in my life…am I where I thought I’d be at this point? Have I done the things I wanted to do this year?
Did I keep the right resolutions? Do the things I promised myself I’d do?

At the same time, I can only move forward.
A new year gives me a chance for a new start in some ways.
Setting different goals, making different plans.

This will be a great year for me and there are many things that I’m looking forward to.
But at the same time, I’m sad to see another year go by.

I have no resolutions or promises to make this year.
I’m just going to try and be happy :)
And I hope you are, too.

HAPPY 2010!
And thanks to the Harmons for joining us once again!
We’d just wither and die without our traditional New Years Eve gathering!

Just a few moments from the beginning!

Happy New Years Eve, everyone!!

Well, he has, anyway :)

We’re heading over to Hoover Dam for some mega sledding fun!
Me, I’ll be sitting this one out, cheering my gang on from the sidelines.
I’ll make up for it next year ;)

While we’re waiting for our friends to arrive for the looooong weekend, I asked Chas to help me update my weekly pregnancy photo.
Here we are just one day shy of 13 weeks!

Chas has been enjoying his time off school and honestly, I only see smidges of him during the day sometimes.
Though in love with the Wii, he also loves to read.
(Am swelling with Mommy Pride. A reader! And I didn’t have to threaten, beg, or bribe!)

I find him late at night, light still on, reading away.
And he’s been spending the afternoons curled up in his bed, doing more of the same.

He positively devoured “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins a few weeks back. And so under the tree, he found the second book, “Catching Fire” and finished it in two days. (The subject matter is rather mature, in case some of you mamas of tweens is interested. You can read about it here.   My personal parenting battle of choice is not reading material however,  so I’m a bit open-minded in this area.   And he absolutely LOVED these novels.)

Here is is stealing some time alone for himself.

Oh, but you’re never alone for long around here! :)

And she’s a piece of WORK!

Whenever it’s date night, I am always running late.
I think I’ll have time to get myself ready but in the end, the kids are always dragging me out of my bathroom, mascara tube in hand, hair brushed on one side only, in order to get them whatever it is that they need.

Last night, my sister and Stew were due over at 6:00.
By 5:30, I managed to escape to my bedroom in an attempt to change my clothes and apply enough makeup to look more like a woman and less like a mommy.
By 5:33, I was back downstairs, rummaging in winter bins in a desperate attempt to properly swaddle all of my babies appropriately enough for a good half hour of sledding fun.

(I finally made it back upstairs by 5:50. I had TEN whole minutes to make myself look yummy. The complete and total lack of date night photos is an absolute indication of how successful I WASN’T ;))

Our little man has a fascination with choo-choos currently.
Is it not a right of passage for all wee men between the ages of one and four???

I remember we went through a similar train fascination with Chas when he was Creux’s age. We used to head up to Barnes and Noble for storytimes back then and he’d ALWAYS play with the train that was set up in the kids area. (He’d actually always have the train SNATCHED from his hands–unlike both his brothers, he was not a swiper, but a swipee.)

And so, for his second Christmas, we went out and bought the entire train set–pricey table and all. We lived in Georgia at the time and we made the trek to Columbus for the holiday. But Santa left that train and train table assembled and ready at our house so when we arrived back home, he received his very OWN snatch-free, choo-choo set.

And he NEVER played with it.

That train was always in a million scattered pieces and the two storage carts that were meant for train tracks and accessories began to instead collect Matchbox cars because that’s what he suddenly starting collecting and loving.

We sold the train table a few years later and vowed NEVER to make that mistake ever again.

For whatever reason, Rhyse never pushed the train thing. He liked them, but never really gravitated toward thm but he also had a car lovin’ older brother so trains were never out and played with. Plus, we stopped those Barnes and Noble storytimes because he would literally wreck the joint, AND he’d take down any kid that tried to share the train with him. It was mortifying for us, coming from dear, sweet, super-share-y Chas. Rhyse was a train BULLY!

But Creux just loves them. He delights in choo-choos where-ever we go and so, this Christmas I decided to poke around a bit for a train set that would suit us both. My requirement? Low on pieces. His requirement? “Chooo-choooooooo!”

Amazon lead me to Nuchi, where I almost purchased the most simple of train, a 13-piece single loop. But I worried that this wouldn’t have been “enough” for him though in hindsight, it would have been perfect for his age right now. I ended up getting the 22-piece set which will hopefully keep him busy as he grows and so far, he’s loved it! He has a bit of trouble assembling the pieces (though luckily has MANY willing helpers) and gets tripped up on the loop cross-overs, but he takes his train out and plays happily for a good chunk of time. (How do you think I’m blogging???)

I also picked this train because it’s compatible with BRIO and Thomas train sets AND it’s a high quality (non-toxic) wooden toy. Plus I can add on as he grows and if this ends up being a true train love affair, THEN I can buy him the whole she-bang. And if not? I’m out $35.

Two of the best things for me about this train?

If Mama builds the train is has ONE loop :)

And though it comes in a super cute box, it fits in my beloved totes!

Back in July, I swooned over the CUTEST tea set for Greer for her birthday and knew it would be a perfect addition to a new winter tradition: afternoon teas.

Yesterday I made a pot for myself (is there anything better than a hot mug of tea on a snowy day?) and my kids were going bonkers bouncing around me, “Me too! Me too!”

So I hauled out Greer’s little tea set and made her the first of what would be FOUR cups of tea.

I use organic African Rooibos, mostly because it contains no caffeine but also because of the high mineral content. It’s good for our tea-lovin’ bodies :) After a splash of honey and a quick stir, we all settled in with our yummy treat.

And by “all”, I mean everyone but Chas. Not pictured (and also not sipping from a super cute yet super breakable tea cup) are Rhyse and Creux, two other little tea fans. Greer has big plans for Madison when she gets here and it involves lots and lots of TEA!