Here we are. The first day of work and school in this new year of 2015 is in the books. There are green leafy vegetables in my refrigerator again, and the treadmill has been very active today. Or maybe I should say that my people have been very active on the treadmill today. Paul, William, and Matthew are at Upward practice this evening while I clean up from a dinner that was spent together at the table...something that wasn't done regularly over our holiday break.
So how did we get to this fifth day of January?
It began on December 31...
(insert warbly vision)
We spent a quiet New Year's Eve at home this year. I always look forward to New Year's Eve and that quietness right before a fresh New Year begins.
This year included a new game that we all took a real liking to...Bananagrams!
I can't tell you how many times we played this game.
Lots.
And lots and lots.
And check out this gang.
I sure so love these people.
Lots.
And lots and lots and lots.
And here they are at midnight.
Every one of us made it up until midnight this year!
A little bleary-eyed, but we made it.
And then we made it into bed by 12:30.
We have had lots of fun playing games during this holiday break. We've learned Bananagrams and Risk and have even resurrected the game Clue. That's one that we haven't played for a really long time. William had fun reminiscing about Clue games gone by. It's a good thing that I have the kids' memories to lean on.
One afternoon, Josh and I played a game of Banangrams together. Just the two of us. Here he is reading his Bananagram words that would defeat me!
Good job, Josh!
It won't be long until Matthew can play Bananagrams too.
Until then, he will just make funny faces at us as we play.
And insert letters here and there around the table that make some pretty good three-letter words!
Matthew's smile changed just a little bit this week! He finally lost that front tooth that has been hanging on and hanging on. That little bitty tooth and Matthew developed quite a bond. Matthew did not let go of it very easily. In fact, I think that it was more his back-up tooth pushing the baby tooth out than the slight yank that William gave it. Yes. William got to do the honors. Paul and I were out on a date when it all happened. Paul commented that he never gets to pull any teeth anymore. Josh and Matthew tend to let their teeth just dangle and then just drop out all on their own. Whoever is closest to catch a tooth when it falls, gets the honor of being "the puller."
We also went out to eat with Paul's grandma...the kids' great-grandma
who they call GG.
Good food and good conversation...
And lots of laughter.
Matthew COULD NOT, WOULD NOT leave his bendy straw alone!
He played with it the entire meal.
Didn't you, Matthew?
And now, here we are on the first Monday evening after the holidays. Carrie has another week off before starting up her second semester classes, but she has a full week of work before she goes back. Usually I'm the one who is ready to get back to a routine, but I am not ready at all this time. Even with the bits of bickering that have started up during the down time, I am not ready. We have enjoyed our Hobbit/Lord of the Rings
And do you know what else we have enjoyed?
Staying home and not driving all over the place! We haven't had to put gas in the truck once since Christmas vacation began! Last night, Carrie and William drove in to Kroger to get gas. We have been collecting our fuel points and had over 1,000...which means $1.00 off per gallon. It was the day that I had been waiting for ever since we started collecting fuel points!
Check this out...
That's right!
Seventy-one cents a gallon!
We were able to fill the Excursion up for just about twenty-five dollars!
AMAZING!!!
UNHEARD OF!!!
It's time to go move the folded kids' clothes off my bed and take a look outside to see if the snow is falling. We're supposed to get 3-6 inches overnight! January and February snows are my favorite. They rank right up there with a good Christmas Day snow.
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
