Some of this and some of that....

After our holiday travels and Julia's birthday celebrations, we are falling into our winter hibernation mode. Partly to avoid germs and try to have a healthy winter but also, I admit, because the cold weather  makes me lazy and what I most want to do is cuddle under the blankets and sleep the season away. I want to come back in a future life as a bear.
We can not possibly survive a winter with four very active kids on DVDs and hot chocolate alone though, so we do have some fun plans for the next few months.  I have set aside some "mad money" to fund ice skating and bowling afternoons on the weekends and the kids have their busy school routines. We got a new dog, Coco, who is big and needs a lot of exercise so on days when the weather is tolerable we want to take her out to run and play. And of course we have 3 more big birthdays to celebrate (Ace in Feb, Andy and Hayley in March). So, winter may be long and cold but we'll make it fun.
I've been impressed with how hard Ace is trying to be more cooperative, I think he must have made a secret New Year's resolution. He is having fewer outbursts and is not using his "bully" attitude to try and get his way as much anymore. He is even remembering to use his words to show affection, instead of just frustration. Tonight I told him he was my favorite boy in the world and he said "You are too, Mommy". Then he thought for a minute and realized that wasn't quite right so he said "No, your not my favorite boy, you're just a girl that I love." I was the best moment of my night.
There are about 10 stories that I would love to share about Hayley because she is at this age where almost everyday she does something new and great (like today, when she decided at 7:30 am to write an Ode to Butterflies and asked me how to spell eerie) but once in a while I'll tell someone about something cute she did or some funny story and then realize that she was embarrassed because she thought I was making fun of her. I don't want her to feel that way so if you realize she is underrepresented in this blog, that is why. It's not because I don't have great stories about her, it's  that they are now her stories to share when and where she chooses. Maybe she'll start blogging, she would rock the blogosphere.