Hello My Family!!!!

I have decided that winter is dreadful and unless you fill it with making plans for Spring and Summer you will not survive.  And such great things are happening in my near future. 

Event #1: Mary comes this weekend. I have already booked her schedule quite full. Our agenda includes family dinners, a quick trip to the Outlets, painting toenails, planning our Italy trip, exercising (not MY idea), Conference note-taking, maybe a little stitchery, and I'm still making lists. Today I am planning the menus, including all recipes I want to make but won't when I am alone because then I will eat way too much of a good thing.  Maybe I am forgetting she is only here for 48 hours....

Event #2: Easter! And in case you are wondering the Family egg hunt is happening in the yard. It might be Todd, Kyle, and I...but we are thinking of letting Grandma officially participate as long as she promises not to dump her eggs in Todd's basket just because he's the youngest.  The youngest my foot....that's been his line for years. If any of you back-easters want to come you are more than welcome, but if you get any money in your eggs it is forfeit to a Utah resident. 

Event #3: Spring Break is around the corner which means very little teaching for me and Mom and Emily are coming for two whole weeks.  My planning for this little extravaganza is a little different than for Mary's visit because you can party hard for 2 days and not feel the effects for weeks on end, but with Mom and Em it's all about endurance....I haven't gotten to menus, but I do have a few little outings up my sleeve. If Emily asks....yard work.  All yard work. 

My half marathon is on the 18th and although I don't remember the last time I went running (actually I know exactly when that was which is why I'm a little worried), I am going through with it even if it takes me forever and if I can't move after.  This might be unpleasant...we shall see. 

Event #4: Daddy come on the 24th.  It's a blitz trip where I think he plans on doing a season's amount of work, but it will be nice to have him in the state. 

My big Studio Semester Recitals are at the end of the month so with all my stuff to prepare for I am feeling very up and ready for what's next.  

Now if only it would stop snowing.....stupid Utah....

Happy Birthday Peter!

Even though Lucia wasn't perfectly thrilled about it, we had two great parties to celebrate Peter's birthday. Papa Kerry made his signature German-chocolate for the second party, and Natalie made a car cake for the party we had on his actual birthday. Peter loved them both—and in fact we discovered he loves parties in general and we've been wearing the birthday hats on and off for the past two weeks (I think Natalie finally put them away). Thank you so much, everyone, for the gifts, calls, and support!


Peter at 1 year—a short profile:

first word (after dada and the sign for milk): "book"

most frequently used word: "food"

weight: heavy

height: pretty tall, and did I mention heavy

mobility level: fast crawl, wary of stairs and the edges of beds

walking: not yet, thank goodness

napping: irregular—at this point basically one a day

favorite stuffed animal: the small blue elephant he sleeps with

favorite activities: eating, flushing the toilette, horseplay (by which I mean throwing himself against myself or Natalie with abandon), standing at the front glass door and mournfully watching Henry and Lucia play in the front, reading and eating books (especially the peek-a-boo book with photographs of other children making faces), chilling out

sense of humor: already developing—no guffaws, but frequent chuckles and smirks

The Humidifier

Who knew that a New York apartment in the beginning of March could be transformed into a bronchial-soothing, skin-smoothing tropical oasis by the mere addition of a humidifer . . . in addition to a select assortment of drugs of course (i.e. Nyquil, advil, Deme-something, cough drops, etc. etc.)  As long as I keep a water bottle handy and the humidifier on high, I'm able to sleep through the night sans cough.  Such a reprieve.  I don't even mind the fact that my hair, which was straight when I went to bed, is now totally curly.

Although, I'm now beginning to wonder if too much humidity might not be the best thing for everything other than me in my room.  I don't think I have a mold problem at the moment, but the thought has crossed my mind.  Especially since my windows are perma-fogged from the inside, and there is a marked moisty-linens aroma permeating the place.  Perhaps a de-germification will be on the table today.

All things considered, if perma-fog is the limit of its imperfections, I'll keep the humidifier.  In fact, I'm trying to figure out how I can sneak it into my yoga class this morning, and then Stake Women's conference which is immediately after.  It wouldn't be too awkward to pack it away in my massive canvas tote, carefully pull it out and set in on the floor next to my mat,  and then confidently weave the accompanying extension cord through the other yoga patrons to the outlet in the wall?  I've seen stranger things in this city.

I'll let you all know how it goes.