Happy New Year!

Overheard at Costco last week:
(in the vitamin aisle)
Ella: Look, a naked mommy! (seeing a lotion display where only the essentials are covered by a ribbon, I assume, from previous experience)
Caleb: Where's a naked mommy?
Me: Let's go, we have your vitamins, it's time to go.
Caleb (running away): But I can't see a naked mommy!
Me (dragging Caleb): Come ON, it's time to go.
Caleb (screaming all the way to the register): I WANT TO SEE A NAKED MOMMY!
**Note - I might have just pointed it out for him, but I really couldn't see where it was and we were in a hurry**

Yeah, we got a few looks with that one. But I have learned that I can't control at least two things: What my four year old yells out in the store, and what other people think of me as a result. So we just checked out and left, and I'm pretty sure he did not get his video-game earning star that time.

We had a nice new year in Grand Junction visiting with everyone, thanks all for the good time. Can't believe how time flies - I was telling Kip I remember watching the New Year celebrations around the world in 99-2000, waiting to see if something catastrophic happened with the turning of the millennium. The ol' Y2K scare, remember? Nothing happened, as you may also recall. But it gave paranoids like me something to do anyway. I haven't officially made my list of resolutions yet, I had better get on top of that. For so many years it was "stop biting my fingernails" and "read my scriptures every day." Time to get a little more creative, I think. Like "This year I will not strangle any of my children," or "I will wash all dirty dishes, eventually." Specific and attainable. My kind of goals.

Only 9 weeks to go until baby gets here (hopefully). Caleb likes to feel her kick, which she does quite often. He'll put his hand on my tummy, and if he doesn't feel anything, he'll start pushing to wake her up and get a response. Last night he was trying with no luck, and Kip told him he could talk to the baby too, because she can hear him in my tummy.
Me: Say, 'hi baby.'
Caleb, to my stomach: Hi baby.
Me: Say 'I can't wait until you come out!'
Caleb, to my stomach: I want you to kick me!

I am definitely nesting and wanting to get everything in order now. I know this probably means she'll be like 2 weeks late. Knock on wood.

We are riding out the kids' winter cough/cold last week and this week, maybe one more week and we can bust it. We have gone through enough tissues and toilet paper to supply a third world country for a month. Caleb is still not convinced that germs and snot are yucky, but luckily Ella is my extra eyes and will tattle if Caleb is eating his nose leakage.

But winter brings fun, too, as demonstrated by Kip this weekend. He brought home a snowblower from work to help clear the driveway and sidewalks, then used it in the backyard to create our own personal giant sledding hill right behind the porch. Nice. Caleb and the neighbor girls have already enjoyed it. They will have more time to enjoy it, too, because it probably won't be melting until July, it is so tall. What a cool dad.