Update January 2013

Well, here it is the new year, and I have once again been slacking in my updates.  We had a pretty good holiday.  We really didn't do much but hang out at home.  When you both work, it really just feels good to be at home.  With all our extra time on our hands, I decided that I would finally start working out again.  I worked out more than I ever had in the past.  I started doing 60 minutes on the elliptical and the bike.  Mike decided he wanted to start too, and he started up with the KettleWorx program that he purchased many months ago.  He tried the first week when he got the set, and it really kicked his butt, and he lost his motivation with it. But over the holiday, he decided to give it another try.  After I returned to work, I had to cut my cardio down to 20-30 minutes during the week just cause of time. Mike really urged me to try the KettleWorx.  He got me a 5 lb. kettle bell.  I tried the first week, and I really questioned if I should step it up to the 10 lb. one that comes with the set.  I just felt the 5 lb one wasn't doing much, and by this time I had been working out for almost a month...I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did, it is providing much more progress for me.  The program is 6 weeks long, Mike just finished week 4, and I just finished week 3! We are both pretty happy with the results so far.  I am just happy that I finally got the motivation to last this long, and I do hope to keep it up.  After 6 weeks of working out, I decided I was committed enough to buy some new work-out clothes and sneakers (which I didn't own any).  Kohl's, my favorite store, sent me 30% off coupon, so the timing worked out great!!

So that is what is up with me and Mike...the kids have been doing very well.  We just had parent/teacher conference on Friday.  Rowan's teacher Miss Marjan said that Rowan has come out of her shell, and has really blossomed.  We were really surprised when she told us at the Christmas party that she was the quiet/shy one in the class.  She is the spit-fire in the family, but I guess they always are different around other people, but it sounds like she is more comfortable now, and being herself at school now.  Liam is doing really well too.  His teacher, Miss Kathleen, was talking about how the kids are learning to blend sounds together to read words.  They have a reading program at school where they send home books to read.  It is meant to encourage parents to read with their kids every day.  We assumed that all the kids in his class were reading the books sent home, but I guess not all of them are.  He's been reading for a year now, so that made us pretty proud of him.

Anyway, the only other exciting thing that has happened lately, is Liam lost his FIRST tooth.  It started to get lose on Christmas Eve, and I joked that Santa and the tooth fairy would have to come in the same night.  But, it was just barley lose, and he was way too scared to let mom or dad try to pull it out.  Then Friday it was bent out, but he still was too scared to let anyone touch it, but we knew it was on it's way out.  He spent the day wiggling it.  By afternoon, I drifted off on the couch while he was playing.  All of a sudden he woke me up shouting my tooth came out. I thought for sure we would have to pull it, and was a bit bummed since I was going to take a video...but, oh well, he did it on his own, and that is pretty grown up for his first tooth.  We really didn't expect it to come out just after he turned 5! Both me and Mike were at least 6.  That night Liam asked me if the tooth fairy would know if he's asleep if the lights were on. I told him she would because she would hear him snoring.  He started to go back to his room, then came back and told me 'I don't snore'.  We thought that was pretty funny.

Oh, I thought of one more exciting thing that happened.  Rowan is now in her BIG Girl bed!  She is a whole year younger than her brother was when he graduated from the toddler bed, but such is the benefit of being the 2nd kid, also she is much less of a mover when she sleeps. She has adjusted quite well to the bed, and it has helped a little with her wanting to nap and go to bed at night.  She likes to have everything in it's place, and will organize her dolls, and toys just the way she wants them on her bed.  She keeps her bed very tidy, and she loves having all her cozy pillows and blankets too.

                       So Proud of his lost tooth!

Like every other kid ever, she had to test the bed by jumping :)