Merry…Happy…Welcome to February

Merry…Happy…Welcome to February. That’s about how fast things seem to go. Or is it just me?

The holidays were great. Having a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old embrace the magic of Christmas time is so fun to watch. This year Steph bought a big, cloth Christmas countdown-tree-thing that we hung on the wall. And it had little pockets so each morning the kids would get up and find a new Christmas activity for that day. They ranged from Watch Charlie Brown Christmas, to Snowman Pancakes for dinner, to read Christmas stories.

It was fun, and a great idea, but I’m not going to lie, coming up with 25 activities, and meshing them with days and times that would work in our busy schedule was challenging. But certainly worth it every morning when the kids would bound into our room in the morning telling us what the activity was. Oh, and by the way, Jelf, our Elf on the Shelf, was the one who would bring these activates in the middle of the night, so that was just an added layer for fun/challenge.

Christmas Card 2013

The kids got lots of great gifts, but it’s always amazing what they like best. Was it the new clothes, the action figures, the trip to Disneyland? Nope. Ask Ellie the days following Christmas what her favorite gift was, she’d tell you it was her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas. Who knew Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael would make such a comeback. I had to go back to TMNT School and learn that “Leonardo wears a blue mask and wields two, long and razor-sharp ninjakens that slice through nearly anything solid.” Noted!

How do you still get a chance to get together with friends on New Year’s Eve, not pay crazy, crazy prices for babysitters, let the kids have fun, and still get them in bed before they meltdown? Family New Year’s Eve!

Friends Jerry and Stephanie hosted a family New Year’s Eve party with lots and lots of great food and drinks, and we toasted at midnight Eastern time (9:00 p.m.) giving all the slowly fading little ones a chance to ring in the new year (kind of) but still get to bed at a reasonable time. It was a great idea and a great time.  A possible new tradition has been established!

All of that leads us into and through January, and February is around the corner. Actually it is this weekend. And while it’s only been around for a couple years, the first weekend in February means Super Bowl time. Last year Steph and I got the chance for the ultimate football experience, going to the Super Bowl in New Orleans with a bunch of family and friends. This year, with the Niners coming up one play short (that seems to be a reoccurring theme) we didn’t even have to contemplate going to New York for the Super Bowl. We’ll be hosting a Super Bowl party, not braving the snow and cold of the Big Apple.

Katelyn as a UC Irvine Cheerleader

And while that covers the major milestones of the past couple months, there are plenty of news and notes. Ellie is once again playing basketball (She’s #43 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mP_67Ef8EI) …She’s also moved from little league baseball, to girls’ softball, with tryouts this coming weekend. We’ll see how that goes…Lukas is every bit the stereotypical 2-year-old boy. There isn’t a mud puddle he can’t find, a toy truck he won’t drive and a question he won’t respond with “why?..And finally, the college kid, Katelyn, is doing great. She's part of a sorority (she's a Tri Delt), she's a cheerleader, and overall seems to be doing well and having a great time.