Click!

For the past month or so I feel like I've been really slack in keeping up with this blog.  I have been dealing with some personal things and have felt pretty disconnected from the "bloggerverse" in general.  Looking back I can see that I've posted quite a bit of fluff, but I still feel like I haven't kept up with the family stuff that's been going on.  And we HAVE had a good bit going on that I haven't blogged about: Christmas parties, Christmas Cantatas, family visits, making new homeschool friends, and much, much more.  But since I hate having to play "catch-up", I'm going to play "snapshot" instead.

BEN took off about a week around Christmas, which we thoroughly enjoyed for the first 5 days.  By that time the effects of being cooped up together, snowed in, and unable to get out much (even outside) and not seeing anyone else (they even canceled church!) started getting on our nerves.  Stir Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.  Now he's back to working hard and bringing home the Big Bucks.  And now that the weather has finally started getting back to normal ranges, I might even be able to convince him to get up the ladder and take the Christmas lights down from the house with me.  He's also growing his Annual Facial Hair.  He is cultivating quite the nice beard.  He's quite dashing in it, don't you think?

ANITA (i.e. ME) is working hard at maintaining her sanity.  She is taking Julie's advice and getting up most mornings extra-early for some quiet time to read the scriptures and work on music.  She's not making it much further than mascara most days, and is in desperate need of a haircut.  Fortunately, her most favorite and talented hair stylist/therapist (aka Brandi) has finally gotten her shop back up and running after moving this summer.  She is scheduled for a cut tonight! As you can see from the way he strategically placed the chandelier behind her head in this photo, her husband thinks she's an angel and close to perfection.

 OLIVIA is back in the groove of schooling at home after Christmas break.  She was able to have a play date this week with another 4th grader and they did crafts and played games.  She also joined the chess club at the library on Monday.  She's really starting to get to know other kids her age and have a great time.  She also found a pair of roller blades this week at the local thrift store.  Now for a whopping $3 she has a great new hobby.  She can't get enough of them and doesn't understand why I won't let her ride them around the neighborhood by herself.  Maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking she needs more than a few days practice before I let her go off alone.

KELSEY is reading like crazy.  She was just given some beginner reader books by one of our neighbors and she feels brilliant being able to read all by herself.  We think she's brilliant, too.  She got a $3 pair of roller blades along with Olivia.  However, she doesn't have a helmet yet so she's required to wear her Christmas hat that Aunt Kristi made for her to help cushion her head if she falls.  She's also not allowed further than our back porch till we get her one.  As you can see, her favorite thing to so is roll forward into a split.  Very talented.

CONNOR is growing like a weed: tall and skinny.  At his check-up yesterday he weighed 23 pounds and was 33 inches tall.  He's started running up to Ben every day when he gets home from work and giving him a big hug around the legs.  Unfortunately, he's also started whining to get what he wants.  Mom's trying to curb that bad habit before it goes too far.  Most of the time he just wants to draw and love on Trixie.  Trixie generally tolerates it pretty well, but sometimes in the evening she's had enough and will growl lightly when he climbs on her.  Connor thinks this is funny and keeps going back for more, which causes us stress.  That's another thing we're working on.  One thing is for sure - he's sure keeping us on our toes!

TRIXIE gets a spot in the update just because we have a great picture of her and Connor in her crate.  She'd gone in there for some quiet time and to gnaw on her bone, and Connor decided to follow her in and shut the door.  He cried when I took him out.  Trixie's probably the most excited out of all of us that the weather is finally gotten back to normal.  We've been covered in half-melted snow and ice since Christmas Eve, and the weather as finally warmed up enough to melt the snow and dry out the sidewalks.  We've started walking again regularly, and you can tell she's ecstatic.