Just a few things going on...

We have been busy. Well, we are always busy, but this month has been exceptionally busy! There is so much to cover...where to begin!

• We started the month staying up way too late and having fun playing cards with some good friends. It's always a great way to start the month and the year celebrating with friends (and their family too)!

• After recovering, the next week (oh, and it does take a week when you get to be our age!) we hosted my sister, my nieces and another gymnast from my sister's gym when they were in town for a meet in Katy. We kept my youngest niece while the rest were at the meet. Let's just say, she wasn't exactly thrilled with me! Every time I looked at her, talked to her, anything. she screamed and cried! I am usually the one who can put any one's baby to sleep....not my niece! Princess TD was the only one who could get her to stop crying, eat or drink anything. So, my sweet little girl got a crash course in babysitting and boy was she thrilled to be the one "in charge" of taking care of her cousin! She got so tired of crying at one point, she crawled over to her bear and went to sleep...so cute!

• During said weekend, the extra gymnast who was staying with us contracted a stomach bug. He was sick the whole weekend. Poor thing. He only stayed with us for one night, and I immediately cleaned everything he touched with Clorox wipes.

• The week following, my sister and her whole family contracted said stomach bug. Not so much a big deal for us since they live in the next state, BUT we were planning to visit them the next weekend for my niece's 1st birthday! Wow! Luckily they were all well, the house was cleaned and we avoided the bug!

• We then followed every slow driver across east Texas to make our way to my niece's first birthday party. It seemed to take us all day to get there! My mom was visiting from St. Louis, so it was a good old fashioned family party. It was great and my niece loved her gifts (except the ones we gave her, clothes) and loved the cake. My sister made her a banana cake with banana flavored icing. Here's the sweet birthday girl!

• This is proof that she can be a happy baby, as long as her aunt is not talking to her! She was happy to be playing with Princess TD, who is sitting behind her in the picture!

• Princess TD is loving American Heritage Girls. We are meeting 3 times a month now, and things are on a roll. She has completed her first badge, Our Flag, and is working on Aviation, Cycling, Photography and Sewing. She has a pen-pal in Ohio that she is writing to every month this year. We are still working on the first letter. We are also working on cards for a couple of soldiers stationed overseas. I am now a helper in her group. Little TD just sits in the corner and plays while we are occupied. Princess TD wants to enroll him in the Kindergarten group, but was very disappointed when I explained that it was only for girls.

• Little TD is growing up so fast! He is clearly into the preschool stage, if not on his way to the elementary stage! He can keep up with the little boy across the street who is in Kindergarten (and almost 6). They are constantly racing to see who is faster. It's really cute to see him playing with boy things and outgrowing the "girly" things he did with his sister and the little girl next door (who is his age).
  
  
• Just for my aunt, here is a picture of the kids from Christmas day. They are playing with the new things Santa brought, a bike for Princess TD, and a scooter for Little TD. More Christmas pictures will follow.