NEW

Things are going well this month. It's been a great start to a NEW year so far. Other than Jill getting strep throat, we've been relatively healthy around here and Jill is the bounce back queen and was pretty much 100% improved 24 hours after the antibiotics. The sun is shining and the weather has been nice, if only a little too chilly for my preference. :) But as Ben reminds me... It's January!!!

I decided that Natalie seemed ready for something NEW... to be potty trained, so we started this week and she's been awesome! Very few accidents and is in panties all day except for naps. DORA panties, of course. I think that has been key in the process. :) We love our DORA! :) I hope she continues to do this well. *KNOCK ON WOOD* I haven't even had to clean up a mess because her accidents were on a towel or a chair that has a removable, washable cover. NICE! I am really hoping to be totally out of the diaper phase, unless we have a new baby and then I will gladly start all over again! :)

Some friends and I went to a NEW movie last night. It was a fun night to hang out with my friends but "Bride Wars" wasn't the best movie I ever saw. At all. Some cute moments but not a "must see," in my opinion. Has anyone seen something really good lately that is not crude, filled with innuendo, violence, or bad language? Let me know, if so. :)

I have volunteered A LOT lately and I've been running myself more ragged than I want to be. I have a NEW goal to not overschedule myself, so I was very proud of myself last week when a note came home asking for help with the school's winter carnival. I threw it away. Then I felt a little guilty but mainly ok. Then another note came home and I threw it away. Now I'm feeling a lot more guilty. And if they send another one, I will probably break down and help run the whole thing. Let's hope there isn't another note! :)

How do you all balance your many duties? I LOVE volunteering but then I have to dump my kiddos somewhere to fulfill what I've volunteered to do and that's hardly fair to the kids to do that very often. A couple of weeks ago my bishop just happened to call me in to his office when I was really frustrated with all of my many responsibilities. He helped me put things into a NEW perspective and I have been trying hard to put my family first again. He's so great. Sometimes you just have to hear that you're doing a great job and that you don't have to do everything!

Today some of my wonderful friends came over to make and have lunch together. One friend brought a recipe, so we could learn something NEW. We had homemade tomato basil soup and stromboli. YUM! It's so nice to have a weekly "Girls Gathering" at my house. All of the kids play and we just hang out, learn new things from each other, or help with projects. We've made baby shower invitations, learned new things to cook, learned crochet, painted a bedroom, and just had a lot of fun!

So far 2009 has been great for us and I hope it's going well for anyone that reads this too! :)

Recent Conversations, Medical Updates & Family Fun

[Miranda saying something nobody knew that she already knew.]
JILL: How did she KNOW that?
MOM: She's really smart and remembers everything lately.
MIRANDA (with a proud smirk on her face): Yep, I know things!

MOM: What would you like for lunch?
MIRANDA: I don't want anything.
MOM: Really? I'm hungry. Let's go eat.
MIRANDA: I don't want ANY FOOD!
MOM: How about a yogurt drink?
MIRANDA: That's JUST what I was thinking! I want a yogurt drink!
MOM (shaking my head and laughing at how silly she is): Miranda, you make me smile.
MIRANDA (very excitedly): Mom, YOU make ME smile TOO!!! :) But not Natalie, she's not smiling.

MIRANDA: Mom, I want some chocolate pudding.
MOM: Sure, after you finish a healthy lunch.
MIRANDA: I just want pudding.
MOM: Let's have some applesauce.
MIRANDA: I'm NOT HUNGRY!
MOM: Then why do you want pudding? Pudding is food too.
[Miranda gives up and walks away without finishing lunch... again.]

MIRANDA (whispering): Mommy?
MOM (whispering back because she's usually just put a baby doll to sleep when she whispers): Yes?
MIRANDA: Can I play a game with you?
MOM: Sure. (looking around for a baby doll) Why are we whispering?
MIRANDA (still whispering): I don't know!

[Jillian getting frustrated with something.]
JILLIAN: Oh, this is so vexing!
MOM: Where in the world did you hear that word?
JILLIAN: On my Nintendo DS. One of the girls on "My Sims" said that. It means frustrating or annoying.
*I guess I have my very own Word Girl! I'm so proud that my daughter is learning from her video games. Hee hee.*

My kids certainly keep me entertained and amazed. We are all finally feeling well and it makes a HUGE difference in the home atmosphere. :) Miranda & Natalie had both had a bad cough and fever during the New Year's trip we took to Kansas. They were basically over it but we went to the dr yesterday anyway for Nat's 2 year checkup. I scheduled it a bit late and she was 2 for over 2 months before they could fit her in. She has grown 3 inches and gained 4 lbs since her last visit to the dr in April. My kids grow fast! She had to get her last immunization until kindergarten (one small Hep A shot) and she didn't cry or flinch or act like she noticed a needle was in her leg. I just sat her up and pulled up her pants and she was ready to go get her sticker and mosey on out of there. She walks by kind of hopping up and down when she's excited. Almost a skip. Totally adorable. I need to get it on video.

After Natalie got checked out, I asked the dr to just check Miranda's ears because she had cried from ear pain a few times in the last two days. He said she had a beautiful ear infection going in one of her ears, so she's on antibiotics but seems to be feeling great now. So as soon as that's done, we'll be on the probiotics to build up her immune system again. We want to not be sick again for a REALLY long time.

The rest of us are all better too. Hooray!

We had a great trip to Kansas and the girls did great in the van both ways. I think I had a harder time. I was so ready to get out of that van! I'm enjoying being home. :) I am so glad I got to spend a few days with my parents, my brother & his family, my aunts & uncles, and my grandma. I even got to talk to my best friend since kindergarten for half an hour at her jewelry store. We both had sick kids, so we didn't get them together this trip. I was so blessed to have so much family and so many great friends when I was growing up. My kids don't have the family close, which is kind of sad, but hopefully our church family and our great friends will make up for that a little.

So that's the update. I'll get pictures on here soon of some of our adventures. Unfortunately, I didn't even get my camera out during most of the holidays. HAPPY NEW YEAR!