according.to.kim

A year of family photos

I'm glad we did this. Now it's time to get our first one for 2013! This weekend.

Revisiting my 2012 plans

Last January, I posted My plans for 2012. How did I do?

Daily:

1. Reply to email from OhLife.com - YES (890 entries now); this feeds my monthly roundups - couldn't do them without doing this

Weekly:

1. Clear collection basket (mail, school papers, receipts, etc.) - Yes&No; I did pretty well the 1st half of the year; not so well after that
2. Clean up basement - clean/purge/organize one stack, box, or shelf per week - didn't do 1/week, but did accomplish a major overhaul over weekends in August and September, so YES, but not finished
3. Clean up email inbox and computer files - 30 minutes per week (in addition to regular reading, replying, and filing of new messages) - Yes&No; did well for part of the year, but email is now sitting around 150 (was over 250 two days ago) and my computer desktop is a mess

Monthly:

1. Back up computer to EHD (in addition to auto backups) - YES
2. Maintain photo organization (choose best, upload, print, share) - YES, but the basement overhaul took priority for awhile and then catching up on photos was difficult
3. Write and post roundup on my blog - YES
4. Do a one-on-one activity with each of my girls - YES
5. Complete 6 layouts - NO; I did 18 layouts in total
6. Use at least 1 Simple Scrapper template - Yes&No; I used a couple
7. Take an informal family photo - YES

Other:

1. Create and promote BSS Bundle #2 (January)- YES
2. Pare down clothing for all five of us (February) - YES
3. Purge and reorganize kitchen (February) - YES
4. Finish taking weekly photos for Picture Inspiration - YES
5. Complete unfinished layouts (5) - Yes&No; some are finished
6. Participate in Picture Black & White (30 photos; May & June) - YES
7. Clear 2004-2006 storage binders (distribute photos to category files, mini albums, photo albums, and cold storage) - NO
8. Create Photos I Love album - NO

I think I did pretty well: 12 YES, 3 NO, and 4 Yes&No (partial success) -- about 75%. That's fine; I used the other 25% for accomplishments such as keeping our family calendar up to date, doing yard work, learning set dancing, learning about food, and doing my December Daily photo project! In any case, looking back at my plans for 2012 helps me see what works for me and what doesn't.

What about 2013? I'm working on setting goals for this year, but I'm not finished yet. This month has been crazy!

Rounding up December 2012

The following would've been much better spread out over two months! On top of it, we had dance and music for the first three weeks, and a full schedule of ringette right through the month. (Exactly why December is not my favourite.)

***

1. READ

• Neil started The 4-Hour Chef by Timothy Ferriss (Christmas gift)
• G read *to me* from a Phonics Factory book :)
• End of Days by Eric Walters (Sophia)

Some of the gorgeous hoarfrost we enjoyed this month.

2. WATCHED & LISTENED

• TV
  • Phineas & Ferb Christmas show (G/M)
  • Sophia, the First Once Upon a Princess (G/M)
  • World Junior hockey (N)
• DVDs/Movies (all free on Max promo except Christmas Vacation, which we have on DVD)
  
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days (girls)
  • Men In Black 3 (N)
  • The Dark Knight Rises (N)
  • The Expendables 2 (N)
  • Total Recall (2012) (N)
  • Avatar (N)
  • Christmas Vacation (Neil's Christmas tradition)
  • Brave (all)
• Podcasts (K)
  • Dishing Up Nutrition
  • The Digi Show
  • Paperclipping Roundtable
• Other
  • 7 Sleeps Until Christmas book app on the iPad (G/M) - nicely done! we also have the book, from Shauna years ago

The girls put milk and cookies out for Santa (all gone on Christmas morning, of course).

3. EVENTS & OUTINGS

• after Sophia's Nove 30-Dec 1 ringette tournament, we ate at Houston Pizza on Hill Ave (hooray for gift certificates!)
• we enjoyed Sophia's first band concert, in which she played trombone. The entire 2-hour concert was excellent with performances by the Grade 6, Grade 7-8, Junior, and Senior bands (students from four elementary schools and one high school)
• Neil and I enjoyed seeing Madeline's class play, Writers of the Bible, and then the presentation of a Good News bible to each student
• I attended 2 set-dancing classes - danced the Connemara, Clare Lancer, Antrim Square - we also had music performances and a snack potluck during our last session (I took Spiced Pecans)
• we all went to Phineas and Ferb "The Best Live Show Ever" at the Brandt Centre - the girls definitely enjoyed it! Georgia sat with her friend Jagger for the second half (for the cost of it, Neil and I thought the Globe might have been a better choice - next time!)
• I took a vacation day from work to participate in the Big Picture Classes' first live event on 12-12-12 - I watched hourly broadcasts live from Maui and worked on my album for 12 hours
• Georgia's class had a "Polar Express" day at school in which they wore PJs and watched the movie
• I went for lunch at Brown's Social House with Dana and Logan, my manager and coworker
• Neil and I enjoyed my work Christmas party - dinner and dance at the Italian Club with band, Wonderland (good food, music, and company, but we only stayed until midnight as we had to deliver papers in the morning) - Madeline and Georgia stayed overnight with L&B, while...
• Sophia enjoyed the EDGE Advent sleepover with many of her friends (she went with Meghan) - they did a fantastic scavenger hunt to collect food for Christmas hampers and her team won (they received donations of a frozen turkey, ham, and much more) - and they only slept for a couple of hours after 4 am!
• we all attended the Prairie Gael School of Irish Dance Christmas party on a Saturday afternoon (we took Spiced Pecans for the treat table)
• I went to Government House to take pictures with my Prairie Snappers group; due to a communication mix-up, I was the only one there but I took some pictures anyway
• Georgia's class went to Government House; Neil went, too
• Georgia and Sophia's school classes went skating; Neil tied skates
• Madeline's class went to the Nutcracker Ballet at Conexus Arts Centre
• all three girls had Christmas parties at school; Sophia's class had a pajama day and recycled gift exchange
• Neil and I attended the school's Christmas Spirit in Action program three times; we saw:
  • Madeline and Bronwyn's classes at the Chartwell Retirement Residence (downtown)
  • Sophia's class at Wintergreene Estates (Albert Park)
  • Georgia's class at Selo Gardens Care Home (Whitmore Park)
  • I really enjoyed the songs they sang, especially Jesus' Lullaby and Le dernier mois de l'année

Christmas tree at Government House - I love the real popcorn garland!

EVENTS & OUTINGS (continued)

• Sophia, and all band students in grades 6-8, performed for their school during a morning assembly; Neil attended
• we enjoyed G's first piano recital at Victoria Park Personal Care Community (except Sophia who was at her dance class)
• we had an excellent roast turkey lunch at work; the main dishes were catered and we brought the extras (I made Cranberry-Orange sauce)
• Sophia's ringette team had a full-ice practice in Lumsden that turned into a 5-hour outing for us, including an unexpected lunch
• we all went to a "Come & Go Skate" at Georgia's friend Elise's house (they have a rink in their backyard)
• playdates and sleepovers: Georgia went to Victoria's all afternoon and evening one day; Georgia went to Elise's for 2 sleepovers; Madeline went to Alex's for a sleepover; Sophia went to Alissa's for 3 sleepovers (and swimming at the Lawson one day); Sophia had Alissa over one afternoon and Meghan another afternoon
• we went to Rob & Robyn's for the afternoon and evening of Christmas Eve - before dinner, our girls and their cousins enjoyed a Christmas craft that Mom supplied - too bad Ethan was under the weather! Rob and Robyn made a wonderful turkey dinner. Also there: Mom and Dad, Grandma Mantay, Aunts Colleen and Bev, Richy, Melinda, Bailey, and Lexington. So nice to see everyone!
• we celebrated Christmas at home which is my favourite thing to do - we took our time opening gifts, enjoyed a hot breakfast, set up and played with our gifts through the day; and Neil made a nice dinner - baked bone-in ham, faux-tatoes, sweet potato fries (with his new fry cutter), and homemade chocolate ice cream - yum!
• we celebrated Neil's birthday - he watched World Junior hockey (his favourite birthday activity) and spent some time reading; I made him a chocolate birthday cake with chocolate glaze and whipped cream
• we ate lunch at Applebee's with my parents on the 27th, on their way home from Saskatoon
• we took the girls tobogganing briefly at Mount Pleasant - it was quite cold out
• we went to a Christmas party/potluck for Sophia's ringette team (Madeline and I missed most of it as she had a ringette game at the same time) - Neil made coleslaw and bacon-wrapped cauliflower
• we all went to Madeline's White Out team building event at the Northwest Leisure Centre: gym ringette (we all played except G), pizza lunch, craft (White Out flags), and swimming
• we had Laurel over for our holiday turkey dinner (on Dec 30) and a few games of Bananagrams; Sophia also played some Christmas songs on her trombone for Laurel and us
• Neil took the girls shopping to Urban Planet and Chapters where they spent some Christmas money
• on New Year's Eve, we watched a movie (Brave) and played board games (Cranium and Clue Carnival) - and we actually stayed up until midnight (I would have gone to bed sooner but we had to strain our turkey broth!)
• 12 Activities with Mom:
  • Georgia and I went shopping at Dollarama and Walmart for her to buy Christmas gifts for her sisters
  • Madeline and I went shopping at Zippity Zoom, Claire's, and Ardene for her to buy Christmas gifts for her sisters
  • Sophia and I went shopping at Urban Planet where she spent some of her Christmas money on two t-shirts, a hoodie, and a cover/wallet for her iPod

Family gathering on Christmas Eve at Rob and Robyn's house.

4. RECIPES TO REMEMBER

• Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Salad (eaten with lettuce; not sandwiched in bread)
• Protein Shake (our version: 2 cups berries, 1 cup 6% plain yogurt, 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, 2 scoops plain whey protein powder, 2 Tbsp. unpasteurized honey, 1 tsp. vanilla) - I think it's quite delicious; the girls prefer it frozen into "ice cream"
• eggs scrambled in butter with leftover bison sausage, onions, and peppers. Yum!
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Leek Soup
• Baked Oatmeal
• Roast Pork Loin
• Alton Brown's Spiced Pecans - exceptional!
• Corn and Red Bell Pepper Chowder with Kielbasa (Big Book of Soups and Stews)
• Pomegranate Guacamole (Food Network Mag, 50 Easy Appetizers, #9)
• Super Moist Chocolate Spelt Cake - really good! we loved it
• Chocolate Glaze (6 oz dark chocolate and 1 cup heavy cream)
• Alton Brown's Coleslaw
• Bacon-wrapped Cauliflower (Food Network Mag, Nov 2012)
• Peanuty Turkey Salad Lettuce Wraps - pretty tasty, but I'd omit the mint next time
• German Lentil Soup (with the lentils soacked overnight - step 1 of this recipe: Lentil Stew, and we used our own ham stock instead of chicken stock)

See Rounding up "Recipes to Remember" for a list of recipes from the past year.

Sophia, Madeline, and Georgia opening their gifts from Santa.

5. GIFTS

• a coworker of mine gave me $60 from a 50-50 prize he won at our Christmas party and I donated it to the girls' school for their Christmas hamper project
• we did a $5 "white elephant" gift exchange at work
• my manager gave each of the girls their own $5 Tim Hortons card "for time spent at the rink" - they loved it!
• Sophia made a gift for her friend Alissa: Minecraft characters in 3D
• Neil received a card and $20 from a Leader-Post customer on his part of our route
• all other Christmas gifts we received are recorded elsewhere
• for his birthday, Neil received some money from his parents, a pasta maker from his sisters, and a clock radio/iPod dock from us (Airmiles)

Sophia made these Minecraft characters using cardstock and templates from the Internet.

6. SPECIAL PURCHASES

• Neil upgraded his cell phone to an HTC One S - Roughrider Edition (first smartphone for him)
• Yummy Earth lollipops for the Advent calendar - probably no better than regular suckers (still just sugar) but the girls loved the flavours
• Collins Junior French Dictionary for Madeline
• I pre-ordered and bought two large containers of borsch soup from the Ukrainian National Federation - just for me (unfortunately, the rest of my family won't eat it) - delicious!
• Neil renewed his season tickets for the Roughriders
• ornaments for the girls, for Christmas 2013, at the Mackenzie Art Gallery gift shop
• special e-book for Madeline: The Little Mermaid and Other Tales by Hans Christian Anderson - each paragraph is displayed twice, in English and French, through the whole book

Georgia made this ornament and gave it to Madeline. The card said "I love you to pieces."

7. HEALTH

• started trying to take a teaspoon of coconut oil daily; also trying to take cod liver oil - neither happens consistently but I'm working on it
• Georgia had a sniffly nose for a couple days
• again, I had some mild cold symptoms for awhile but didn't even need (my usual) Advil Cold & Sinus
• Neil slipped and fell while delivering flyers, but wasn't hurt too badly
• Neil went to the chiropractor a couple of times
• I bought two supplements for myself: iodine (since I rarely use table salt) and magnesium bi-glycinate - took each of them once, mixed in plain water - must find a different method of getting these down!
• 24 hours after our turkey dinner, we had 6.5L of beautiful turkey bone broth - awesome!

Sophia playing Christmas songs on her trombone.

8. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• decorated and shopped for Christmas (on top of everything else!)
• took and posted photos every day this month - so glad I did!
• after being upset with her November results, Madeline worked hard on her French reading minutes and surpassed her goal of 320 minutes!
• finished gathering photos for my 2012 Yearbook
• we completed our Mojo ringette raffle (for a Cuisinart beverage fridge full of various refreshments) - it was a big success - we made over $1600 in profit!
• completed our huge year-long content review project at work!
• I wrapped all of our gifts on Dec 21 (except those the girls had already wrapped for each other)
• entered the second half ringette game and practice schedules into the calendar
• created and printed (or emailed) a photo Christmas card to some family members (note to self: next year, do this earlier than the morning of Christmas Eve!)
• took down and put away all Christmas decorations on Dec 28

Our progress wall at work after completing our big project.

9. DISAPPOINTMENTS

• I had a meltdown before work on the 18th - so many friggin' things to do - yup, Christmas stress got the best of me (will I ever truly enjoy December?)
• I had taken my unfinished 2012 Yearbook album in my purse one day and some of the pages were ruined when tea dripped on it :(
• the van's ignition cylinder had to be repaired and it cost $200 (also, had to get it towed in for service, but at least that was covered with our CAA membership)
• our main floor toilet kept running and overflowed, flooding the bathroom and hallway, and started dripping in the basement by the time we realized it - at least it was just water!
• after 12-12-12, I had no time to work on my 2012 Yearbook album
• we were too busy the whole time I was off work (9 days); I had no time to accomplish anything extra (neither housework nor fun stuff like scrapbooking)

Snow-capped Echinacea on Christmas day. / Charlie and Miley, and flyers to be delivered.

10. GOALS

• cleared the collection basket once - it was a desperate situation
• processed November photos - unusually small number of pictures
• captured our 12th family photo of 2012 - hooray! I love this project; so glad I did it
• completed my Daily December photo project! you might think this would add to my December distress, but it was actually one of my favourite things about this month

11. NOTEWORTHY

• Sophia didn't help decorate the Christmas tree because she chose to stay at a friend's house instead
• started using a new roll-out garbage bin from the city (glad to get those nasty shared bins out of alley! we had neighbours who were always filling it with unflattened boxes, branches, etc.)
• the girls each emailed Santa, but instead of doing it one after the other, they all did it on different days (and Sophia was not nearly as eager to do it as in the past) - Madeline and Georgia's reactions to M's video from Santa was very cute! (Santa said he remembered when Madeline was a little and she liked the paper and boxes as much as the gift; she turned to me and said, "Did I?" I said, yes, and both girls were delighted that he knew that :))
• Mom and Buffy came to see one of Madeline's ringette games, while Dad was at a bison meeting
• Sophia had 2 goals and 5 assists in one game (and 1 penalty) - awesome!
• the amount of hoarfrost and snow-covered trees we had this month was remarkable - many picture-perfect days!
• at one point, all of our girls' ringette teams (Sophia, Madeline, and our niece Bronwyn) were in first place in their divisions - so I took a screenshot of the standings - no, it's not all about winning, but that's quite amazing; it may never happen again!
• as I used the ring road through the month, to and from work, I was constantly astonished by how many vehicles were in the ditch
• I started using Aperture (my Christmas gift) for photo management and editing instead of iPhoto and PSE - there's a lot to learn in this program and I'm enjoying many features I didn't have before
• dogsitting: we hosted Chloe during a few work days; and my brother's dogs, Charley and Miley, for a week between Christmas and New Years while they travelled to Seattle
• Boxing Day was the coldest day of our paper delivery so far (in 8 weeks): -30/-36 wind chill, but it wasn't too bad as we know how to dress for it
• Neil and I emergency subbed for a nearby paper route - 5 days from Dec 27 - Jan 2
• I won a cute little Paper Issues scrapbooking kit (Times Square) after commenting on Aimee Maddern's blog
• both Madeline and Georgia slept for 12 hours one night (very unusual!) and they were so cute cuddled up together
• signed up for Eat Your Books because I received a free 3-month trial - many of our cookbooks and over 18 months of Neil's Food Network Magazines are indexed! time saver! (already decided to subscribe after the free period)
• Georgia started reading in English! So proud of her. Now, all three of my kids can read in two languages - how amazing is that?! :)

Rounding up November 2012

1. READ

• an Arthur story (K to M&G; I like Arthur! it's been a long time)
• Sophia must have read something - but what?
• Neil is working on Book 7 (Malazan series), but it's 1280 pages...

A very familiar place.

2. WATCHED & LISTENED

• TV
  • Rider games and Grey Cup game (Neil)

• DVDs/Movies
  • Amazing Spider-Man (N; free on Max)
  • Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (N; free on Max)
  • The Rise of the Guardian (Sophia at Southland)

• Podcasts (K)
  • The Digi Show
  • Dishing Up Nutrition

• Other
  • Neil and I watched some of Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Life: Healthy, Wealthy and Wise on CreativeLIVE while it was free

Sophia and Madeline performed in the Remembrance Day liturgy at school.

3. EVENTS & OUTINGS

• I attended 4 set-dancing classes (one was canceled due to weather); learned the Plain Set (continued from the spring), started learning Ballyvourney (fast and fun!), and learned a little Sean-nós - the oldest type of dancing in Ireland - I loved it!
• I went out for drinks with coworkers (Four Seasons) to say farewell to one leaving our group
• Neil took the girls (and Mattea) to a Rams game
• Neil and I attended the Remembrance Day Liturgy at school - Sophia and Madeline performed a special dance; all three participated in pinning a poppy while the names of family veterans were displayed on a screen
• we ordered Houston Pizza for supper
• the girls went to K4J; Madeline dressed up as St. Hedwig for her group's celebration of All Saints Day
• Georgia went to the Festival of Trees with her friend Elise
• all three girls went for supper and a sleepover at L&B's
• Sophia saw In Flanders Fields at the Artesian theatre with her class
• Sophia went to EDGE (youth group) a couple times
• Madeline went to Alex's for a sleepover
• Georgia had her friend Victoria over for a playdate (they also enjoyed playing at the rink during Sophia's ringette games as her older sister plays on the same team)
• I went to the first meeting of Prairie Snappers, a small local photography group organized by my friend Mary - we took pictures at the Regina Floral Conservatory and then met at Sweet on Broad Street to chat and make plans
• all three girls went skating with their school classes
• Dana and I went to East Side Mario's for lunch
• Neil went deer hunting with friends Todd and Darren, and their sons, Zack and Gabe - they didn't get one
• Madeline went to Mattea's one afternoon
• Sophia and Alissa went to a movie at the Southland
• we all attended Luca's (and his cousin Brooklyn's) baptism and lunch at Ali's parents' new house - it was great to see everyone - it had been too long
• Sophia went to Chuck E. Cheese with one of her ringette team mates
• 12 Activities with Mom:
  • Georgia and I went to the Science Centre on the holiday Monday, late afternoon - she didn't like how few people were there
  • Madeline and I went to a grocery store, then made blue Jello "plates" on which she arranged candy - and then I proclaimed that our activities in 2013 will be sugar free!
  • Sophia and I went shopping at Zippity Zoom and Southland Mall for her to buy Christmas gifts for her sisters

One of my pictures from the Regina Floral Conservatory. More on Flickr: Prairie Snappers

4. RECIPES TO REMEMBER

• Pork stir-fry with Hot-and-Sour Sauce (Real Simple)
• Basque Pork Stew (Canadian Living's Best Soups & Stews)
• Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice; Texas Cooking)
• Alton Brown's Dill Pickles (fermented)
• Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken
• Sophia's Smoothie
• Chicken and Corn Chowder (Big Book of Soups and Stews)
• cream kefir (made with 10, 18, or 35% cream, or combo) with frozen fruit on top - great snack at work
• bison broth soup with broccoli, lentils, and sausage
• leftover roasted broccoli sauteed with eggs and more parmesan
• Ali's quinoa salad with figs, almonds, and cilantro (I don't have the recipe, but I need to get it!)

Whole milk vanilla steamers, a new favourite treat for wintery evenings.

5. GIFTS

• Barb at set dancing gave me a pair of used leather set-dancing shoes from Ireland! They were given to her but didn't quite fit. I was always wearing dance runners which are comfortable but make no sound - so happy to have these!
• Harry Potter Christmas ornament and Houston Pizza gift certificates from friends

Sunrise on my way to work (Wascana Parkway over the Ring Road).

6. SPECIAL PURCHASES

• parka, ski pants, gloves, toque, and boots for Sophia
• ski pants and mittens for Madeline
• jeans for Neil
• warm toque for me - perfect for the paper route!
• Martha Stewart Office binder and page protectors for my 2012 Yearbook project
• combustion air blower for the furnace (Neil changed it himself)
• hooks and buckets for our front entrance - they work wonders for keeping our hats, gloves, and other stuff organized and off the floor!

New buckets in the front entrance. / Layout with pictures I took in November.

7. HEALTH

• started making kefir with real kefir grains (and Neil has really kept it going for me; I'm lucky)
• Neil made fermented pickles - which are mostly eaten by Sophia (and me occasionally)
• Sophia complained of a sore throat one morning, but went to school and was fine; nothing more
• I had some mild cold symptoms; hardly bothersome
• Sophia had a couple of bad nose bleeds - one during a ringette game, so she missed half a period

Georgia at the Science Centre on our monthly date.

8. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• I received a gold recognition award from my manager at work, and I chose this Lug bag (Grass Green) - love it!
• we learned how to deliver papers smoothly and efficiently
• I made 550 tickets for the Mojo Ringette Raffle (refreshment fridge) and tracked ticket sales/returns
• I made a digital scrapbook layout (November)
• in my performance review at work, I received the highest rating - my first time achieving that level :)
• I cleaned Sophia's room; 7 months since I last did it - blech; Sophia actually helped this time - and she didn't like dealing with the garbage on the floor - ha!
• I gathered many photos for my 2012 Yearbook - big project
• I refreshed the banner, background, and layout on my blog - makes me happy

9. DISAPPOINTMENTS

• the furnace needed a new fan

Some of the snow we received in November.

10. GOALS

• backed up the computer
• processed September photos
• processed October photos
• printed photos from June through October (8-cent sale at Costco!)
• completed our 11th family photo

Sophia playing in the Buffalo Plains tourney.

11. SPORTS

• Sophia and Madeline both had much success in ringette - with their teams and individually (both play forward and occasionally, center)
• Sophia is proud to hold the title of fastest skater on her ringette team - established by several races
• Madeline scored her first (and second) hat trick! - quite amazing since she did not score her very first goal until March last season
• Sophia's ringette nickname is Shooter; Madeline's nickname is Maverick
• we enjoyed getting to know other parents at practices and games
• Sophia gets quite a few penalties (one or two almost every game) which we attribute to her being big, strong, and steady on her skates (others fall while she doesn't); her coach says they're "good" penalties - she's just trying hard; Sophia thinks the refs don't like her
• Neil, Sophia, and Madeline participated in the bottle drive for Sophia's ringette team (while G and I went to piano)
• we all attended Sophia's ringette tournament in Pilot Butte and Emerald Park (Buffalo Plains), and their team brunch at Perkins; Mojo won all four of their games in the tourney

11. NOTEWORTHY

• crazy, crazy weather! freezing rain (almost pouring one day) and lots of snow; extremely icy road conditions - driving and walking (flyer and paper delivery) were challenging at times! (I got the winter tires put on the van after the first rain)
• through UsedRegina (I had posted a want ad for dairy kefir grains), I met a new friend with similar food interests from Langenburg; I gave her a SCOBY when she was in Regina for a meeting
• dogsitting: we hosted little Yogi during weekdays for a couple of weeks; and big Chloe for 10 days
• Costco started selling gas and then our inflated gas prices went down all over the city - finally!
• Neil's Columbia winter boot split open, and for the third time/second winter (same problem), the Shoe Company replaced his boots immediately with a new pair, no problem, free of charge
• if you need a special-occasion cake, the Cinnamon Cake from Sweet Ambrosia Bakeshoppe, served at Luca and Brooklyn's baptism lunch, was exceptional!
• report cards came home and we attended parent-teacher interviews:
  • Georgia is enthusiastic, helpful, and excelling in grade 1
  • Madeline does very well in most things but needs to work on her French reading comprehension
  • Sophia's biggest challenge is being disorganized and untidy (I recently read her grade 1 report - same thing! also, Neil said he was the same in school - no surprise there)
• Georgia started reading English words - so exciting!
• Sophia started making bracelets with craft/embroidery string; she works on them often and has learned several different patterns and techniques