January: The Worst of Months

That title is going to annoy Justin. He asserts that no month can be worse than another, just like Mondays can't be worse than Fridays. He likes all the days and months and seasons equally. Yes, they're different, he'll concede, but they all have good things. Time is what you make of it.

Well what do you make of time that is frozen, ugly, bleak, boring, and never ending? Because that's what January is. But I am trying to be more positive about January now that we are half way through.  Here's my list.

Things January is the Best For
1. Clearance sales
2. Making me think it's never too early to buy Valentine candy
{{foot tapping, gazing around}}
3.

I'll have to come back to that.

Here's what we've been up to. Justin has been working boatloads (I'm trying to refine my language) of hours on a big, never ending project. Sarah has two dangly teeth that I just want to yank out of her mouth but she won't let me. Henry can clean his room and walk into preschool by himself (he's done each once but I'm trying to be positive, remember?) Erica likes to tell us to not say things. "Don't say cute!" "Don't say sleepy!" It's super cute. For now. As for me, I've been running to windows and outdoors whenever the sun is shining, like a lizard basking on a warm rock.

Onto what you're here for: Pictures with explanations.

Erica let me put her hair in pigtails and didn't pull them out. Progress! I just love me a toddler in pigtails.

 This is in the morning before church and she wore them all day.

 Henry wanted his picture taken with Camping Mickey that he just found. Apparently he'd been lost for a long time.

One of Justin's Christmas presents from me was a pie every month. I don't like pie or making pies so this is extra generous of me. But I like the culinary challenge. January's pie was a chocolate cream pie. We all agreed the chocolate was too dark. The texture was great but maybe next time use semi-sweet instead of unsweetened.

 We all agreed the cream was the best part. Henry requested next time we make a pie that's just whipped cream.

 For a couple of days Sarah and Henry were really into making stairs for Erica. I don't know why.

 Erica loved being the center of their activity. I did not love being blocked out of the dishwasher. The game is now banned.

Here's how our mornings go around here on a school day: At some point around 7:30 I finally come to grips that I have to get up as these children are not going to feed themselves. Well they'll feed themselves bread and chips right out of the bag on the couch while they watch cartoons. Henry has usually been up for 20-30 minutes already and is watching TV. Sarah may or may not be awake and may or may not already be dressed and watching TV with Henry. Erica is just waking up and kicking the wall from her crib to let me know she's awake. I get Erica up, come downstairs, call the other children to come upstairs and start taking breakfast orders. "No, I'm not making pancakes, that's Dad's thing." "I know you want cereal. That doesn't help me. What kind?" "Henry, have you gone to the bathroom yet? Because if I pour the milk and you leave the table, your Life will be mushy and you won't get more." "Sarah, less talking, more eating." "Erica, I'll get you a cutie after you finish the toast you ask for." There's some loving things like "What's everyone excited about today?" and "Guess what has to be clean before you can play??" Sarah brushes her teeth, washes her face, gets her shoes on while I make her lunch, then I do her hair then she runs out to meet the bus in front of our house at 8:28.

This is from Monday. Sarah: Why are you taking pictures of what we're doing?

 Erica gets 90% of her daily calories from whole milk. Cuties, Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, and boiled eggs round out the other 10%.

Henry was waiting for his pancake to warm up in the microwave (leftovers from when Justin made breakfast) by sitting on the heat vent. I did the same thing when I was a kid. Kid, teenager, college student...last week.

Yesterday Sarah's class did their animal report presentations. Half of the class chose snakes. I know all about snakes now. The other half did tigers and kangaroos. Sarah's report was on kangaroos.  At the end they had a question and answer portion. There was never really a consensus on any answer. Sarah is the third shortest kid in her class (she can name who's shorter than herself) but like the 4th oldest.

And that's pretty much our life thus far this year. What do you like about January? How many times can your kids handle the Bean museum and the mall playground? Which store has best toy aisle?