So clean I could cry

Amelia was looking a bit teary-eyed when I came downstairs at one point this afternoon. I asked her if something was wrong. With words that sounded like they were full of emotion, she shared that she was just so happy that someone had cleaned up her room.

4 is tough

Amelia: "Brody, do you want me to tell you all about being 4?"
Brody: silence
Amelia: "It is hard - you have to fight a lot."

Electropied

Last night at swim lessons, Micah had a nasty case of the hic-cups. The kind that hurt in your chest. He kept telling me his hic-cups hurt his heart. On the way home from swimming, he said that it felt like a cord inside him came unplugged and that he felt like he was electropied. I thought I might have heard him wrong, but he clarified that it felt like it would if you were holding a metal bar and unplugged something (he thinks you will receive an electric shock if this happens because of an old story involving his grandma who received an electric shock a long time ago although that wasn't the exact circumstance). "You know.....like getting electropied." I didn't correct him because it is just too cute!

Christmas

Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer

Brody serves breakfast

Brody has taken to helping himself to cereal and anything else in these cupboards. Although he is eating off the floor, at least he had the self-respect to find a spoon to use. We're not animals here!

An old moustache

In the van today -
Amelia: Dad, how old will Brody be when I'm thirty a thousand?
Me: People usually don't live long enough to be a thousand.
Amelia: How old will Brody be when I'm 100?
Me: He'll be 97.
Amelia: I bet he'll have a moustache then because that is old.

Happy New Year

There is little point in trying to catch up after 6 months without blogging - I'm sure we created many wonderful memories, achieved milestones and had a generally merry time, but we must move forward. You've gotta go forward to go back.

We celebrated New Years Eve in Clackamas with a rousing family game of Trouble and some Martinelli's sparking apple cider and fresh cookies from New Seasons. The kids were all in bed by 8 and Kandi and I were asleep by 10. I did awaken briefly to hear fireworks at what I presume was midnight. I continue to stand by my long-standing belief that I need not stay up til midnight to greet the new year as it should still be the new year when I wake up.

After a breakfast at McDonalds (so much for that healthy eating resolution - glad it lasted almost 8 hours into the new year), we headed to OMSI. I've never been to OMSI with so few visitors - it was a great time and we spent awhile playing with all the different active options. For Salem friends with Gilbert House membership - your membership gets you in to OMSI for free - a great deal if you head to Portland.

Brody has started standing up all by himself tonight for seconds at a time. Hopefully we'll catch some photos or video soon to post. Blessings to all for a memorable 2011!