Things lately...

-On New Years Day I sat around the table with my little family. As we ate our traditional blacked eyed peas we talked about a fresh new year and things we wanted to accomplish in 2014. It was a fun conversation to have with a four and five year old. I know many people have negative opinions about new year's resolutions. But I can't help it. I love the start of a new year and looking forward to dreams you want to see happen in the next 12 months. So for my little boys to be listing things like: learn to tie shoes (both said this), learn to swim (Pax), learn to read (Holden), learn to ride my bike without training wheels (Pax)...it was just fun to listen to them dream and set very attainable goals for the coming months.
-We've had a weekend that may be tricking us that spring has arrived early. As much as I love each season (including a snowy/icey winter), this spring-like weather has been refreshing. The boys have played outdoors for the past two days. And because I tend to be a fair weather runner, that means I've run the past three days. Hopefully I'm gearing up for a 10k next month. I might jinx myself just saying that. On Friday evening I headed out alone to run. Holden was still eating dinner and begged to go with me. Back in the fall (you know, when the weather was perfect again for outdoor activities) Holden ran a mile with me. Barefoot. Never stopping to walk or rest. Crazy kid. He loves to run. He really loves to sprint and rest, sprint and rest. So I promised him on Friday evening that he could join me for a Saturday morning run. He was happy with that news. And Saturday around 10am we headed out on our run. He covered 2 miles of run/walking. We had spent a week in school some time ago, talking about the Tortoise and the Hare and what it means to persevere. He is definitely the hare. And I am the slow moving, yet steady speed tortoise. I lapped him more than once, yet in the end he made it back to our house first, so he says he won. :) Whatever. I think I'm going to finally have a running buddy in my future. And probably a very small window of time when he is finally able to go longer distances with me, and then before long I probably won't be able to keep up with him.

-We have completed semester one of homeschooling Kindergarten and Pre-K. We took a break during the Christmas holidays and it was definitely a challenge to get back to it last week. But once we did day one, we all remembered how much we enjoyed our school time together. It has been a wonderful experience. I've been a little surprised at how much I've enjoyed it.

-Saturday night we went to 4 Day Weekend with some friends. Man, oh man. That place makes me laugh so much. Then I think about different lines of comedy for days after, and I catch myself laughing at them all over again.

-The boys received several games for Christmas this year. Sorry, Trouble, Twister, Tic-Tac-Toe, Tumblin' Monkeys and Connect 4. And they are finally at an age where we can play fun games as a family. Games that require a little more thought than Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. We have been HOOKED on Sorry. It's my current favorite. And Pax asks if we can play games every single day! He's so much like me it's crazy! :)

-A couple of months ago we booked a summer beach vacation. I've got four months to wait for it to arrive, but I think about it each week. And ever so often, I get on the computer and look at pictures of our destination. Pax and Abe have never been to the beach. And Holden hasn't been to one since here when he was only 15 months old. And it's been a good year and a half since Jeremy and I have been to the beach. So in a short four months, we'll be driving to Gulf Shores, AL and living like a family of beach bums for six days. We are excited for a family trip. It's been a while.