Sunday, January 6, 2013

found the pictures!

And here they are!

Ice skating:




Looking at a sleeping baby 


Holding our favorite baby:







overdue update

Oh boy. It's been so long. I don't know if I even remember how to do this.

So, how are you? Notice anything different? Since the last time I blogged, I developed a new skill. Which I am showing off now. I discovered that the whole "type a sentence, type a period, and add two spaces" is only for typing on typewriters, and we who use computers are supposed to only use one space. I was vehemently against this news when I heard it, but I've adjusted and actually, it is quite freeing. One space - that's all you gotta do!

Wow. This has the makings of one of the most boring posts in history.

So, life has been good, really good. It's now winter. 4th grade tackle football season ended great. My boy's team only won one game, but they played with heart and soul, and my boy had a great time playing. Basketball has begun. One and Two are both in a tri-county league. Twice/weekly practices (for each boy) started in November, and games start this coming weekend. Each boy has at least 2 games/weekend through February. I've embraced basketball and know I'm going to learn a lot.

We went on a great family vacation to Baltimore/Washington DC and then to NYC over Thanksgiving week. A definitely highlight of the week (and year) was meeting my newest little nephew, who had the good sense to be born while we were there in Baltimore. I was at the hospital and got to meet him within an hour of his birth, and I connived the way for my 2 eldest to meet their baby cousin. We had a fun time doing some light sightseeing in DC and in NYC too, but the best part was spending time with our east coast family members.

We are wrapping up what's got to be the longest winter break in history. Kids were off of school for two extra days at the beginning of break due to a huge snowstorm. Bob and I had planned to do some last minute, but essential, christmas shopping on one of those days, so we had to scramble and do it on a different day. We have entered the phase of parenting where we can leave our children home alone for a few hours, so we took advantage of that opportunity. Ah, what a difference a few years makes, and these little bursts of freedom are so, so lovely. Earlier in December, Bob and I did some other Christmas shopping, and we also went on a date one night while the kiddos were home alone.

Christmas was fun, low-key, relaxing. We hosted our regular Christmas eve party with a bunch of extended family whom we love and don't see regularly. Unfortunately, a nasty little stomach bug swept through our family during this time, but we soldiered on and still hosted our party. We had our traditional steal-a-gift game, which is always good fun. We also made true blue 1960's hippie Indian chicken curry, and the house smelled simply divine.

During our Christmas eve party, we skyped with far flung relatives (long story, but my brother is now stationed in Mongolia, of all places - read his blog), so we chatted with him, as well as his lovely bride and their new baby in Baltimore. Yes, my brother has to live in Mongolia for a few months while his wife and baby are here in the US. Actually, they are currently HERE in Madison, which has made for a very fun week. My boys have fallen head over heals in love with their sweet, teeny little cousin, and he is a star on One's Instagram page.

Christmas day was us 5 at home, happily playing with our new goodies (the big gift this year was huge flat screen tv and a mini-basement remodel, updating it from a play room to more of a hang out space). My parents came over for dinner, which was steaks on the grill, roasted sweet potatoes, and spinach salad, and it was delicious, especially since my stomach was cooperating that day.

New Years Eve was very quiet. We were anxiously awaiting our beloved Baltimorians to arrive, which happened late due to some unnamed airport delays. I ended up driving to my parents' house at around 8 pm to see them. I left a headache-y One and a tired Three home with Bob. Two scored an invite to a buddy's house for a sleepover that night. We all stayed up talking until past midnight and skyped again with Mark in Mongolia (and learned that they eat horse milk soup there - a fact which has haunted me since hearing it). I broke my own personal rule and drove on the streets after midnight on NYE; however, it was very, very quiet. People must have taken the "don't drink and drive" ad campaigns seriously - at least, they did in the neighborhoods I was in. As an OWI assessor and sober driver, I appreciated it. I sort of wondered if I would be pulled over simply for being on the roads, but no one took a second look at me.

I have worked some these past 2 weeks - 12 hours total each week. Enough to get out of the house and away from the madness. We have been a bit sloppy with childcare - Bob has stayed home with the kids one day, my parents popped in for a few hours a couple of different days, and one day we even (gasp) left them home alone for a few hours. That made me feel strange and unsettled, but a bit relieved too that they could handle themselves alone. However, when I came home and found out that the boys walked down to the bay a couple of blocks away to skate with other neighbor boys, I thought, "oh. hm. that sounds potentially dangerous and like it could become a news story awfully quickly. As in unattended-neighborhood-gaggle-of-boys-drown-in-icy-Monona-Bay." So, we have spoke a bit about safe ice vs unsafe, and we (I) have decided that the bay is unsafe, until I can observe it for myself.

We hosted a party for 2 of Baltimore's best the other night. I decided my New Years Resolution (which I'm not really into making) was to have people over more often. We used to entertain all the time. Really, before kids, early in our marriage, we'd have different groups over to play cards, play games, whatever. It was a blast. I miss that, and I've decided to try to get some of that back. So, to kick it off, we hosted a little local-relative get-to-know Baby K party the other night. Bob ended up working late into the eve out of town, so it was all on me. Other than our garbage disposal failing, it was a seamless event and fun to do. Encourages me to continue on this track.

We squeezed in a trip to Tenney Park for ice skating. (If you are local and haven't seen the new shelter yet, you must. It's gorgeous.) We have attended several basketball games (One and Two are in the tri-county league which means lots and lots of basketball, which means I'm finally learning a bit about this game). We are bracing ourselves for a rough re-entry into real-life tomorrow (first day at school since, when? December 18??). I have enjoyed the break from the homework and the schedules, but I also know it's time to get back into it. Best for these boys of mine to reconnect with their communities of friends and get some structure to their days.

I will leave you with some photos of, well... not what I was planning to post. I'm searching for photos I thought I just threw on my computer from my ipod of Baby K, but I can't find them. I did find these gems of two of my boys from years ago. Here is Two, around the age of 1 1/2, on the beach.

 And here is One (age 3 1/2) and One (age 1) and a bunch of kids in our little wading pool at our new-old house in Middleton. Wow. These pictures feel like they happened a lifetime ago.
I will sign off now, so this post isn't delayed any further. I hope to be back with pictures of what may indeed be the cutest baby in the world - my little nephew K.