Cold January

It is cold outside! I'm not complaining because there are definitely good things about this (hanging out by the fireplace being the best) but January is a bleak and dreary month. We took down the Christmas tree and all the other Christmas decorations and suddenly everything seems so bare. But we are doing good and looking forward to sunnier times! Here are some things we've been up to...

1. We've been bird watching. There have been lots of cardinals hanging out around our living room window. There is a bird feeder hanging outside our window and they occasionally come to eat seeds from it. It's a lot more fun than it sounds. I can't get over just how brilliant red the cardinal is. Amazing!

2. Annika is starting to potty train. As with everything with Annika, this is highly entertaining. Her latest demand, I mean request, is that I draw something(a panda bear or lorax, etc) on her pull-up at night. Hey, whatever works!

3. Lots of painting. Some paint even gets on the paper.

4. Ezra started going to Primary. He has a really great teacher and loves it!

5. We've been reading a ton. I have been alternating between The Swiss Family Robinson and The Book Thief. The kids have been reading like crazy. Their daddy especially likes this as it keeps them away from wanting to watch "shows." I would tell you what Jonathan is reading, but I can't pronounce or spell half of the words on his books. :)

6. There has also been a little bit of work going on. The university doesn't start classes until next week so it still feels like vacation for us. Jonathan has been working from home, which everyone likes, and he even managed to get some work done. He has sent out a book proposal to several places, which is exciting. Plus, he does the dishes a lot so that's a big plus for me!

7. Buffy. After the kids go to bed, Jonathan and I stay up and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. Jonathan got me the entire series one year for Christmas. They never get old!

That's it for now!