A Busy January

Thank goodness most of us in the family haven't had a lot to cry about. Katie is the exception, who always finds a reason to cry.

But Monday after New Year's came hard. I needed another week off without any holidays. You would think that I would be glad to get the kids back in school. But when the kids are in school my week usually looks like this:

Mon : recover from weekend, groceries, laundry
Tues : drop off Katie, volunteer in 2 classes, quick errand(s) B4 getting Katie
Wed :watch Isaac (payback for Tuesday and friend time for Katie and me)
Thurs : recover from Tues and Wed unless leaving town (which I did)
Fri : prepare for weekend, housework and laundry

Kids get home from school around 3:40 pm, and then it's snack, chores, dinner prep (for me), eat, clean-up, homework, bedtime prep. I'm sure some can do a lot more. For me, I am maxed out!

Monday night I realized I needed a sanity day. I felt bad about not volunteering, but my options were short. So I dropped off Katie and came home to try to get ahead. After relaxing and showering I needed to pick up John's check from the college. Long story short, I spent the rest of the time getting the van's battery jumped twice and then replaced. It has a good ending.

Time with Isaac and Emily is always a good day. For those who don't know (or didn't put it together) Emily and I trade time with Katie and Isaac which gives us free time for... free. The kids get a weekly playdate, and Emily and I have an excuse to visit. Isn't that picture of Isaac priceless?




J.J. had to do a report on shadows. He chose a marshmallow to show how shadows work. This was one of 5 pictures we submitted. It only needed to be two sentences, but 5 sentences later proved that it was a fun learning opportunity for J.J., Anna and Mom!

Thursday we left town and didn't have to worry about battery problems in the middle of the desert. Friday I finally was able to get caught up some, and then Saturday we had a yard sale. Small, but I still made $74. Then John and I cleaned out the garage. We put most of the kids toys in the garage along with the Wii and DVD player. It was a great idea because now the family room is much cleaner and quieter than before.

Which was a bonus when Neil and Pam came to visit with their baby. They are good friends from the singles ward John and I met in. The highlight was a quiet lunch joined by Michelle Richardson who also attended PV ward. Quiet because both babies were napping and the older two were playing in the garage.

Since then we have been doing the daily stuff. We have been sick some, but still manage to plug along. Over the holiday John and I went for a tutorial in Yuma for the camper while Grannie and Papa watched the kids. (Thanks you guys!!!) Everytime I leave the kids for a while I think of that song, "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away". If you haven't heard of it, the title says it all! I figure that I haven't been away long enough if I don't miss my kids before I come home.



Here are some pictures that I have taken since my last post:

Katie in Anna's slippers

BFF, don't you think? Sisters by chance, friends by choice.

The family playing Mario Kart together. Is this what you pictured Nunu and Peepaw? We have done it a few times to date. Guess who is last? No, really think about it for a minute. Okay, you're right. Of course it's me! I am always in 12th place (out of 12). I remind J.J. that if I play on his team, he is going to loose. He says to me, "Mom, it's just a game."

I was trying to get a shot of J.J. in another one of Nunu's homemade ties, but J.J. grabs my lesson prop and asks if this would make a great picture. Of course it does! This is a pencil drawing by Eden's mom who gave it to us as a wedding gift.

And then Anna wanted to do the same thing. I wanted to show off Anna's Christmas dress from Grannie and Papa, but it will have to wait like J.J.'s tie. Anna has a ribbon tied in her hair around her bun. She said she thinks a lot of Grandma's would look better if they tied a bow in their bun also. Cute!

This is a video of Katie's first time in a chair at the dinner table. (52 seconds)

Thanks for taking the time to read about the Hermansons. We have some exciting events coming up. Aaron, Lyndsey and the cousins are coming over for a few days (yah!), the first annual Blythe something something (a ping pong tournament), and then the Date Festival with camping at the fairgrounds. Please put out lots of good thoughts into the universe that Katie will not keep all of the campers awake all night, including her own family! She's lucky she is so cute.