Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

I had the loveliest Christmas Day . . . and took almost no pictures. Yay for just being present. Here are a couple of the ones I did manage to take. I know that others who were around took more. I'll get them eventually. Right now, I'm still tripping over train parts and Duplos, so the memories are quite vivid, thankyouverymuch. So, Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

Ready for morning!

Santa brought Minnie's house!

And some "tucks!"

And yesterday's (not)substantial snowfall meant the kids had to play in it.

1/2 inch won't stop them!

Meanwhile, 2016 is about to begin. 

I'm not usually into resolutions, but I'm doing a little goal setting this year anyway. Read more. Write more. Be present more and on my phone less. That may or may not mean I'm around more. I hope it means that I am. 

I, as I always do, jumped on Jennifer Fullwiler's Saint Generator train to select a patron saint for the year. I got Blessed (soon to be Saint) Teresa of Calcutta (i.e. Mother Teresa). Sounds like a good choice to me! :-)

The bigger question, for me, is a word of the year. I didn't do one last year, for whatever reason that I don't recall, but I know that my 2014 word, patience, came back over and over and over again, in so many different aspects of my life. This year, the word that came to mind is boldness. I don't know where that will take me or whether it will look the same in 12 months as it does now, but I'm excited to find out.

Meanwhile, here's my everybody's doing it Instagram #2015bestnine:

Happy New Year! Blessings in 2016! (And, above all, be safe out there tonight!)

This Morning

Hi there! I'm alive, and have the usual caveats of no promises if/when I'll be back, but I had a chance to type and something to say, so here I am.

Today started on a, "will I survive?" note, since Clare has been awake since 5:15, and going back to sleep, in spite of my best efforts, did not happen for either of us.

Then, Peter woke up and his crazy morning antics got me laughing and snapping, so I thought I would share a peek at my morning.

Most mornings, before I can lift him out of the crib, Peter insists on grabbing a stuffed bear or two. Today, it was three and his blankie . . . but one bear was bigger than he is.

Bear Crazy

Then, it was time for breakfast. I ate a bowl of oatmeal. After just the tiniest bit of debate and negotiation (ha!) my mini-me non-breakfast-eater agreed to eat some fruit and some milk. Peter ate a small apple, a clementine, a large piece of mango, a bowl of oatmeal, a cup of yogurt, and some milk.

Oatmeal not pictured (still cooking!)

After I took a picture, Clare needed one of her, too.

Look at that feast!

Not pictured was this interaction:

(To myself) I should change Peter out of his jeans so that he can wear them tomorrow, and I don't have to do laundry.

Peter starts crying in the basement where he was playing.

(Down the stairs) Come on up, Buddy, Mama's right here!

Peter climbs the stairs crying . . . and hands me his jeans! I don't even want to know . . . 

Then, wearing a different pair of pants, he sat down to watch a show while I gave Clare the bath she refused to take last night. 

Taking a load off

The plan had been to go play at the park and have a picnic, because we've had gorgeous weather, and rain/seasonal temps/indoor weather is coming back tomorrow. Then, as I was getting ready and debating which park to go to, I decided to forego the park altogether and head to the zoo!

Peter was, as always, so enthralled with the animals. I love it.

Ti-goh. Roaaaaaa!

Clare, unlike last time we were there, was obsessed with all of the statues. Last time, she was terrified. Today, we stopped at each and every one so that she could climb on them.

Up close and personal.

The second mini-me moment of the day came when she chose this route to the lion statues:

Yep, she scaled the boulders!

I'm still exhausted, and I still wish that we'd been able to sleep a little longer this morning, but know what?!? I've made the most of it. I didn't give into the temptation to throw in the towel when things didn't go my way, and we had a pretty great morning. <--Maybe writing that down will help me remember for next time! ;-)