2005 Comes In With a Snore

Quick Christmas Update: Grandma and Grandpa M pulled in about 10 am. The boys were thrilled, of course. So was I. During the three days she was here, I think my mom read about 3 dozen books. Long ones. After 19 in a row, she told Nathaniel she had to stop for a glass of water.

She brought me grain, gluten, and lecithin, cute bread bags, and a funky measuring cup. How fun. I made bread for her, and she approved it. She flew out on Tuesday, but my dad stayed a couple more days to help Mark with some projects. After replacing 4 rotten fenceposts, Mark said he is not going to become a post-hole digger.

New Year's Eve we went to a party at my neighbor's house. It was fun and very convenient. When it was time for Lizzy to go to sleep, I ran her home, put her down, and came back with the monitor. The rest of the family came home about 9:30 and went to bed. I always pray for a light, steady rain on New Year's Eve, thinking people are would not be inclined to set off fireworks if it were raining. No such luck. Fortunately, the fireworks did not awaken the children. Nor did they awaken Mark, who fell asleep about 2 minutes before midnight.

I usually make resolutions for the new year, but I haven't been able to reflect on what I want to accomplish this year. No time. That's my motto these days. I am a very busy stay-at-home mom. I'm frequently tempted to get really depressed about not fitting into my clothes, but I can't seem to fit it into my schedule. I should be able to do more now that I've gotten my shot of B12. That's some wonderful stuff.

Maybe now is a good time to reflect...
2004-- did it really happen? I was Very Sick for the first 3 months, Very Sad for 1 month, and Very Tired for 7 months. So, what does that leave us? 1 month. What did I do in that one month? Not much.

Seriously, I made 1 small quilt and 3 crocheted afghans. I began grinding my own whole wheat flour and making all of our bread. I started my garden, and I began watching butterflies. I also had a baby girl. The Holy Spirit has been at work in me--I believe I am more calm. I think I'm also becoming a better mommy and wife.

Memorable books read: Marriage to a Difficult Man (this is no reflection on Mark--the book is about Sarah and Jonathan Edwards), The Sinking of the Titanic (eyewitness accounts), all of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and Mansfield Park (sorry, Kilby, you cannot make me dislike the best author ever).

Memorable events: "Coughing" into the toilet, attending the Spell to Write and Read conference, delivering my baby GIRL at home, and surviving 2 hurricanes.

2005--I have, as Roald Dahl says in The Enormous Crocodile, "secret plans and clever tricks." I'll write just one. I will (God being my Helper) not eat chocolate until Resurrection Sunday. I'm too old to be depriving myself for an entire year of the finest food in the world, but it just does not agree with Lizzy's system.

Patio update: Please do not mention it to me. I do not want to talk about it.

School update: Yes! School! We are doing school again. Lizzy is more regular in her naps, I'm not as tired, and Mark has agreed to help, so we are on our way. I'll teach the boys Wed-Fri, and Mark will look over their work with them and quiz them on Saturdays. Monday will be chore day, and Tuesday is Spanish, music, and art at daddy's school. We've done two days of work now, and I'm quite pleased with where B2 is. B1--well, Mark agreed to work with him tomorrow, and I'm hoping for some sage advice as to the best possible way to teach a boy to read who is highly distractible, non-academic, and very wiggly.