January

January flew by and I don't have a lot to show for it. We have done a lot of skiing, but I think I'll just hit that in one big post when the season's over.  We did celebrate Chinese New Year with our local group of Chinese adoptive families.  It's always fun to get together.  Leah is growing up so stinking fast.  She is sweet but also sassy beyond belief.  Her naughtiness has really amped up lately.  She called me "fatty" at least a dozen times today!  She says it often because she knows it's not nice.  It usually goes along with her telling me she is not going to do what I'm asking her to do!  Leah also refuses to finish potty training.  She does have bowel irregularity issues, but she will not do the #2 consistently in the potty.  We have had more accidents than I can even count.  I have thrown away lots of underwear because I just can't bear to clean it out.  Ugh!  I am so ready to be done with diapers and potty training. Leah has also transitioned to a big girl bed and abruptly stopped napping.  I'm not going to lie.  That's painful.  She is so funny and cute though.  She takes turns telling her brothers they are her "best buddy" and manipulating them with her cuteness.  She sports pony and piggy tails, rides her no pedal bike and scooter, plays ninja with her brothers, goes to Sunbeams, and is in general growing up way too fast.  She is a handful right now, but we sure love this girl!  Don't be offended if we see you and she calls you "fatty."  She loves to mix that in there for shock value.  If not that it's her second favorite dis--"dummy!"

 

 

  

 The big boys are in the part of the picture I couldn't fit in with my 50 mm! Oops.

Mountainside also had their Western Night in January.  Seth was way stoked about it and Luke was a bit more unsure, but it turned out to be so fun. We dressed in our Western wear, headed to the school, learned how to square dance, and had root beer floats.  There is a night for moms and sons and another for dads and daughters.  The first session was K-2, so Seth and I danced it up.  Seth was seriously a natural!  There was this move called a "courtesy turn" where he put his hand on my back and turned me back to position and looking down at him with that cute bandanna around his neck, taking it so serious, he was just so dang cute.  My little cowboy man.  I wanted to freeze that moment in time!  Jer brought Luke over for the second session, and we had fun too.  He was a bit reluctant at first but loved it too.  Who knew.  My fourth grade square dancing skills came right back to me.  I lived in St. George my 4th grade year, and we had to square dance once a week!  I always had this partner, Randall Brinkerhoff, that I was not fond of. I eventually started being "sick" that day until my mom caught on!  Sorry Randall wherever you are.

These are the best photos we could come up with...along with a couple of little photo bombers!

Luke was really a bit more excited than that!