Welcoming 2012

I have picked out a "one little word" for 2012.  My word is FOCUS.  I know I let myself get too distracted by the internet and it keeps me from focusing on the things I should.  So I'm going to re-focus on using my time and resources to do the things that I really want to do.  And on figuring out what those are. 

We spent New Years Eve with the Tracys, playing Ticket to Ride and eating cheese and veggies till the unfashionable hour of 9:30.  Yes, we are the big partiers.  (Normally the kids get their pajamas on at 7:30, so that was pretty late for them!)  We hadn't played Ticket to Ride before.  Doug and I both enjoyed it.  (He always likes maps.)

We've had several game nights like this, over the years, playing Settlers or Killer Bunnies or something of that nature at the Tracys' kitchen table while Kate played with the Fisher Price castle and other toys on the living room floor.  (Other people's toys are always more interesting.) She would almost always go home with a beanie baby that she would borrow until the next time we were there, trading it in for another one.  This time felt like some kind of milestone, or transition, as instead of playing in the living room nearby, Kate spent most of the time down in the basement on the Wii.  My baby's growing up.  (Andy ended up on the computer, right next to where I was sitting, playing on starfall.com.)  We went home with borrowed Wii games instead of beanie babies. 

We started 11:00 church today.  We alternate between 9:00 and 11:00 (there's also a student ward in our building that keeps the 1:00 time slot, so we don't do that one, thankfully!)  Since we were out last night the kids didn't get their Saturday night bath, but I thought, "Hey, we've got two more hours to get ready in the morning; we'll do it then."  This worked out okay but I don't think I'll make a habit of it.



Andy is a Sunbeam now!  The kids are assigned to their classes according to what age they are on January 1.  Since Kate and Andy's birthday is right at the end of the year, they get to leave the nursery when they're newly-three.   We have a picture of Kate as the Littlest Sunbeam, on her first day in Primary. Doug has told me several times that this is one of his favorite pictures of Kate, just right on the cusp of babyhood. Andy is actually not the Littlest Sunbeam, since there's another boy in the ward whose birthday is today. I also was not able to get a picture of him sitting in his chair, because he just wouldn't do it. He is a wiggler and a roamer. So he spent the first while sitting with his teacher, and then came to me.



I held him for just a few minutes and then he just conked out.  Right at 1:30--nap time!  (We've been trying to discontinue the nap but he keeps falling asleep anyway, so we just try to keep it short.)  Kelly Dickson put her coat down on the floor for him and he slept that way till it was time to go. (That's his Happy Birthday sticker, on his shirt.) 

I have to mention that we did not sing "Ring Out Wild Bells" today. I've always liked the way that last chord resolves.

Kate keeps asking me when it's going to snow.  She knew that the solstice was the first day of winter, and anticipated that winter would bring snow.  This morning when I went in to wake her up she asked me again, "Did it snow?"  No snow.  It's been pretty mild, lately.  The cloud cover keeps in the warmth, like a damp gray blanket.  (I'm not saying that in a bad way--it's kind of a cozy damp gray blanket.)  Today was clear and sharply sunny, but still well above freezing. I'm okay with a mild winter, but I do hope we get at least one good snow.

Happy New Year to you!