hello, january

New Year's Eve.  Nicholas stayed up so late--he was so tired that he actually fell off the toilet as we were getting him ready for bed.

And then he was up a few hours later throwing up, poor guy.  He was fine again the next morning, though, back to his happy silly self.  (I don't want to jinx it, but I think maybe, just maybe we're coming out of the crazy hard screaming tantrum stage with him? Shhh, don't say it out loud...)

My Grandma and Grandpa Shaw bought us tickets to go bowling as a family for Christmas. We all went on New Year's Eve.  Nicholas kept his fingers in his ears the whole time (loud music).
He tried to carry the ball with just his elbows.  You know, so he could keep his fingers in his ears.
And, he won.  
Final score:  Kent-89.  Becca-45 (I'm super awesome at bowling). Nicholas-109.
Gotta figure out how I can use those nifty ball ramps without looking too stupid... 

 Mountain goats.  Basically in our backyard.  They are out there on the golf course every day now, looking for grass to eat.  
Ellie loves to watch them, pointing and shouting.  
We also see deer, hawks, and a bald eagle every so often.

Guess who has learned how to run?  She is fast, strong, and into everything.  I pretty much just follow her around all day, attempting to keep her out of things and off of things and preventing her from breaking things.  

But she's hilarious. And unbelievably darling. 

She likes to get really close to me and "whisper" nonsense, telling me little secrets.  

I can't wait until she has actual words in those little secrets.

And the way she scrunches her nose and laughs when we correctly guess what it is she's asking for?  Ummm I just love her!

 I woke up yesterday feeling very, very sick.  I thought I was getting "the flu," but thankfully I'm feeling much better this morning.  
And who can feel sick very long when you get to look out at this view from your sickbed?

\

Kent took Nicholas to the store yesterday. Poor kid was dying to do something other than watch movies next to his sick mother.  Kent bought him his very first Nerf gun.  A monumental step in boyhood.

And this morning, Nicholas said,

"Mommy, I don't think I need the rest of my toys anymore.  I just like my new shooting gun."

 I'm still working on figuring out my "One Little Word" for 2013.  I'm close, but just don't feel like I've gotten exactly the right word yet.  

And now, Ellie is up and I need to get up and get these kids some lunch.