So as I said last time... I lost my username and password.   Well, not "lost" so much as forgot. 

I like to think I had a good reason for forgetting.... my brain was just tooooo full of all my schoolwork. 

Let me hit the highlights:

- I finished, I finished, oh Praise God, I finished.   I completed my coursework for my M.Ed in December.  I thought that I would suddenly and magically have all this free time.  Ha.  I finished about 10 days before Christmas, so that time was full of preparations for the holidays.

- Christmas was nice, we saw both sets of inlaws then went down to my mom's a day or so after Christmas.  She wanted to come back here and be here for "the birthdays"  so I thought the easiest way would be to bring her back with us, then set up a time later to meet my sister halfway and give her back. One of the highlights was that Dean and I won a hat contest.  Youth group at church had a "crazy hat" contest  at the youth christmas party... Here is our entry.

- We had grand plans for the birthdays (mine is Jan 3, Joyana is Jan 5, Joey is Jan 8).  Alas, the best laid plans.... January 2, Joyana got sick.  That nixed the lovely plans of having mom babysit while Jeff took me out for a birthday date at a grown-up restaurant.  January 4, Jessi came in and puked on the foot of our bed, thus joining the sick Joyana.  This nixed the birthday party planned for Joey and Joy.  January 7, Joey joined the throngs of sickies.  To make a long story short... the kids were sick for the first three weeks of January.  They took turns, they did it all together, they switched it up on me... ear infections, vomiting, fevers... the works.  The end result was Joey had a pan of brownies and a giant cookie in lieu of a party and poor Joy never got to smash a birthday cake. Here is one of Joy's one year pictures.

- I re-opened my online shop. Last summer and through the fall I was a member of an online store with a group of other women.  At the first of the year, it was closed but a number of us decided to maintain an individual presence.   I will list my shop and links to some of my favorites.

- Joey had his first dental visit (in November I think) the dentist was shocked at how good he was.  Unfortunately, Joey is an old pro at invasive doctor visits due to all of his ear problems and the dentist was no big deal at all.   Joey did tell me confidentially that he thought they (the dental staff) were silly.  "Mommy... they wanted to brush my teeth so they told me that I had sugar bugs in my mouth.  But mom, ACTUALLY I do NOT have bugs on my teeth."

- Joy walked, turned 1, and grew teeth. pretty much in that order.  Third time is the charm for most things... I'm so much more easy going with my mothering this time around, everything smooth sailing (except that one hairball-blanket fuzz blockage)  She walked a good bit later than the other two but that was fun... having a baby that stayed a baby (joey walked before 9 months old, Jessi right at 9 months) . Joy took a step or two right around Christmas but didn't give much bother to learning to walk as a form of locomotion until end of January/early February.   Teeth.  Oh my.  Joey teethed easy-peasy (good thing since he was my first) and had like 10 teeth when he turned one. Jessi was a bit more trouble, but still had 8 or more teeth on her birthday.   Joy.  Joy had teething issues.  much screaming and gnashing of gums.  huge lumps in her gums for weeks and weeks at a time with no teeth breaking through.  pity the first time parent who has a teether like this.   She got two bottom teeth in time for Christmas, and then burst 4 top teeth through almost simultaneously right around her birthday. She is teething again (sigh) but puts those 6 teeth she does have to VERY good use!

- Joey lost two bottom teeth already!   CRAZY!  I thought that kids lost teeth when they turned 6.  We had a meal with my inlaws and Jeff's step-brother's family was there, they showed me that Joey's cousin who is 5 months older than he is had lost a bottom tooth.   I expressed to her mother that it was too early.  Monica told me that kids lose bottom teeth in Kindergarten and top teeth in first grade.  I still didn't believe her but thank goodness I at least had that warning!   Imagine my shock when a few days after this, Joey told me his teeth hurt and that they wiggled!   EEEk,  I felt them and Oh my, they were loose.  I called the Dentist to make sure it was ok.  And no, I'm not sure what I wanted them to do about it if it weren't ok....   They laughed assured me that while it was a little early (He had BARELY turned 5!) it was fine.  One tooth came out a few days later and the second tooth a week or so after that.   So, Jeff and I have officially become tooth fairies!   We had a close call the first time though... I had put Joey's tooth in an envelope under his pillow and Jeff was supposed to go in early in the morning before work and get the tooth and leave a coin.   Jeff nearly got caught!  Joey woke up as he stepped in the room, looked groggy and immediately dived under his pillow.  Good think Jeff has some sleight-of-hand skills and he was able to produce a quarter.  He even managed to palm and pocket the crackers that Joey left out for the tooth fairy (all his own idea I must add).   I did however get a nervously whispered heads up that the tooth was missing!   Jeff couldn't find the tooth envelope.  I went in several times through the day while the kids were doing something else and looked for the envelope. I was so afraid that they'd find it, but I did get to it first, it had fallen down behind the head of his bed.  Tooth Fairy operation 2 went much more smoothly and Joey was delighted to find not just one but two quarters.

I'm sure there is more, but that's plenty for one post.