Happy New Year!

It's going to be a great year folks! I say this now because I am determined to make it true (if lightning strikes me right now or Joe's plane crashes, I'll take it back).

So far we're off to a pretty decent start. I've made several new years goals and I've already made good progress on some and am already WAY behind on others (how is that possible when we're only a month into the year you ask? Just trust me, it's possible). If I can hit half of them, I'll consider the year a success (so sad, so true)!

Max is growing like a weed. He's over 19lbs now. He's 6mths and an absolute joy. He keeps me positive and reminds me how much I love each of my children, even when they talk back and throw tantrums or forget to flush the toilet. Max makes life good. No teeth yet, but he's eating fruits, veggies and rice cereal like a champ...which has only added to his increasing waist line. He's already wearing 9-12mth clothes. He's loves to smile and talk and has perfected rolling over. He sits up on his own a little, but doesn't have remarkable balance yet, it's a work in progress. Oh, and I need new pictures because he had his first haircut (a big thank you to uncle Phil for his help). He was getting a bit of a comb over going on so we cut it off. He's adorable and going blond. I'm anxious to see if it keeps getting lighter or if he'll be a brunette like Ali and Jack...time will tell.

Goal 1: Potty train an unruly nearly 3 year old. We did really good today, the poop went in the toilet and not the big boy pants, which is SUCH A BLESSING. However, if I didn't remind him to use the toilet, he didn't. Potty train fail. Tomorrow, we begin again.

Clay and Quin are back in school and doing really well. I am so impressed with Quin's progress with reading. He is making real strides. I took him to the ENT the other day and found out he's going to have to get tubes put back in early in Feb. He's had fluid on his ears since October (and possibly earlier) which has really effected his ability to hear. We were really worried he was going deaf. Apparently his hearing loss is just due to lots of excess fluid in his ear and the tubes should fix that. Clay is getting really good at cursive. His pen pal (who is a girl - he's the only kid in his class with a pen pal of the opposite sex) wrote to him this week and said he had 'beautiful handwriting'. I think he plans on typing the rest of his letters.

Ali is still my little princess. She is a smart little bugger and I just know I'm in over my head with her. She is a great help with her brothers and LOVES school. I can't believe she'll be in kindergarten this fall. She is really looking forward to her birthday next week, five yrs old. She wants to take the family to Chucky-Cheese for her birthday (I think I'm going to say yes because she has to get her kindergarten shots the day after her birthday and I'm hoping she will hate me a little less if I take her...REALLY hoping).

Not much else to report. I'm sick of the snow. I'm ready for spring. Life is good. I'm still not use to having Mag's so far away. I'll probably just be getting use to it by the time she gets back (in 18mths)...oh well, and life goes on!