January...

As I started sorting through the pictures and videos of our February birthday extravaganzas... I went through the pictures and videos from January. Nothing spectacular. No trips or big events. But a lot of little snippets from everyday life.

These are the things I want to remember... more than Disneyland trips or birthday parties. More than holidays and games watched. But it is so easy to let it go undocumented.

And my apology for not taking the time to edit the videos. They are truly real life as it comes. You may see more than you want to (like a push or a scream or a teasing or some insistent personalities...) but my kids will be interested in the years to come.

Abby and Bekah playing horse and chariot. The blanket serves as the reigns and Bekah is a fierce driver (just look at how she uses a whip!). They ran around the house like this taking little breaks for other pretending moments... within the same story line of course.



I simply cannot say what joy comes into my heart when I see my children reading. I love having so many different stages to enjoy right now. Ella surrounds herself with picture books and flips through them one at a time. Abby and Bekah still look through the picture books, but try to figure out some of the words. They have their own beginning reading books that they are doing wonderfully well. Michael devours chapter books right now, but is content to read the picture books too, especially if he has a sister who wants to hear.

The video below is of Abby reading to Michael. I love how attentive he is to her and how encouraging he is of her success. It melts my heart.



If I were to be completely open and honest, many January pictures would include this little girl and all her schemes that result in household messes. This is one creatively motivated girl. She gets an idea in her head and doesn't let a little fear of discipline get in the way.


One incident that happened a few times last month was the ol' cut-up-all-the-paper-you-can-find-into-tiny-pieces-and-pretend-it-is-confetti-to-throw-down-from-the-upstairs-landing-all-0ver-the-room-below game. Love that one. I happened to be carrying the camera and caught this glare after I gave her the ol' "If-you-play-it-you-pick-it-up" line, followed by the "If-it-is-too-messy-for-you-to-clean-up, it-is-too-messy-to-play" line.

Hmmm... I kind of use those lines a lot right now...

For a few days, the kids pulled out the checkers board. Michael loves the game, and took it upon himself to teach his sisters. They enjoyed the tutoring, and I enjoyed listening to the happy strategizing as I cooked dinner.


One of the only truly serious things they all do together...


And who says Christmastime ends in December?? In this house, Christmas was gone but not forgotten, with holiday scenes and nativity reenactments still dominating the scene through January.

Meet Santa:


And his trusty reindeer, Rudolph, with an impressive red nose.

(I kept asking if she could breath through all that tape...)



I can't say how much I love Bekah's Rudolph nose. I don't know how much red paper and we went through as she cut red noses during her days of Rudolph obsession...

We played "Santa's Sleigh" all together for the longest time that afternoon. We took turns being the Santa, the sleepers, and the reindeer. Moments like these are the ones I know I will want to replay years down the road...



A moment about Ella's snorting. Isn't it the grossest thing?? She first started doing it when she had a cold before Christmas. I started saying things like, "Oh, that's yucky... let's do sniffles" and teaching her how to sniffle. I would make a yucky face whenever she would snort, and I think she thought it was pretty funny because the snorts increased. So then I started being more stern with a "Yucky Ella. Please don't do that." This caused her to want to egg me on I think, and the more I protested the louder she snorted.

So that's where we stand now. The more I protest, the louder and longer the snorts. Blah and ugh. So now I have to just ignore it. Which generally works around the house.

But then... try to take the girl to church. Yikes! She picks the quietest time to let out her biggest snorts. Yuck. But if I protest... you know what happens. So I have to just sit there and pretend I don't hear her... leaving everyone sitting around me to wonder why this mother doesn't teach her daughter that snorting is gross. Ha ha joke's on me once again. It started happening at the girls' violin recital last week. Luckily I was able to distract her.

I will look at this as yet another passing phase...

And isn't it all just a passing phase?? The cuteness and happy moments, the messes and frustrations... they all will come and go. Sometimes I hold onto it as long as I can. Sometimes I just grit my teeth through it. But at least now I've captured a little bit of it to play back later.